Last descriptions about the Ukraine Crisis varied from escalating to de-escalating East vs. West ... more Last descriptions about the Ukraine Crisis varied from escalating to de-escalating East vs. West scenarios, often accompanied by protagonists of either side (NATO or Russia). We investigated 6 Perception 44(S1)
In the last two decades, contour shape has been widely studied as a factor in visual aesthetic pr... more In the last two decades, contour shape has been widely studied as a factor in visual aesthetic preference. Many studies have shown that humans and other species usually prefer curved to sharp-angled contours. The reasons for this preference, although keenly debated, still remain unclear. Studies of preference for curvature have tended to rely on simple visual stimuli due to the need to control confounding variables, which has limited investigation of this effect in complex stimuli like artworks. Our objective in this study was to test whether the effect of preference for curvature can be extended to the art domain in an ecologically valid setting. We conducted two studies using original artworks exhibited in a museum context. Stimuli consisted of a series of 48 paintings divided into 16 sets with three versions in each set: one curved, one sharp-angled, and one mixed, while color, size and style were controlled for across each set. In both studies, we recorded participants’ preferre...
Lines contribute to the visual experience of drawings. People show a higher preference for curved... more Lines contribute to the visual experience of drawings. People show a higher preference for curved than sharp angled lines. We studied preference for curvature using drawings of commonly-used objects drawn by design students. We also investigated the relationship of that preference with drawing preference. Experiments 1 and 2 revealed preference for the curved drawings in the laboratory and web-based contexts, respectively. Experiment 3 showed that the curved drawings were also preferred to draw than the sharp-angled ones. However, this effect only appeared when the drawings were made by hand, but not when they were made by computer. We found a moderate positive correlation between liking and drawing preference. This relationship was mainly explained by the hand-made drawings. Sex, art experience and openness to experience did not influence preference for curvature. Altogether, our findings support the curvature effect and the hypothesis that people prefer to draw what they like to see.
Evidence dating back a century suggests that humans are sensitive to and exhibit a preference for... more Evidence dating back a century suggests that humans are sensitive to and exhibit a preference for visual curvature. Recently, this effect has been observed in different age groups, human cultures, and primate species, suggesting that a preference for curvature might be universal. At the same time, several studies have found preference for curvature to be modulated by contextual and individual factors, casting doubt on this hypothesis. To resolve these conflicting findings, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of studies that have investigated preference for visual curvature. The results of a three-level random effects model revealed a Hedges’ g of .39—consistent with a medium effect size. Further analyses revealed preference for curvature to be moderated by four factors: Presentation time, stimulus type, expertise, and task. Together, our results suggest that preference for visual curvature is a reliable but not universal phenomenon, and influenced by factors other than perceptua...
Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite un... more Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite unexplored during the 20th century and only a few sporadic studies dealt with it. Nevertheless, there has been renewed interest in this topic over the past two decades. This interest has come from two perspectives, one related to the current experimental aesthetics and the other from different applied approaches: marketing, packaging, interior design, and security perception, among others. Quite a few studies have demonstrated the effect with different stimuli, conditions, and participants. However, a comprehensive understanding of this effect is still lacking. We present the salient issues of the current studies in order to provide a more complete picture of this phenomenon. The applied research line is a promising field to combine with research from experimental aesthetics. Finally, we indicate a few challenges that experimental research should address to achieve a unified framework for ...
Recent studies have pointed out some cross-modal correspondences between flavoured beverages, as ... more Recent studies have pointed out some cross-modal correspondences between flavoured beverages, as well as basic taste solutions, and specific geometric visual cues. Some of them associate known drink tastes to shapes of receptacles. In particular, sweetness is associated with curved receptacles and bitterness with sharp-angled ones. Our study aimed to test the hypothesis according to which near-threshold solutions might also activate this cross-modal correspondence. We used two different cup forms, one curved and the other sharp-angled, with pure sweet and bitter solutions just above sensorial thresholds. We designed two tasks using a two-alternative forced-choice test. Participants had to decide which drink was sweeter, Task 1, and bitterer, Task 2, from the curved and sharp-angled cups. Results showed the cross-modal correspondence but only when participants drank first from the curved cup and second from the sharp-angled cup. The effect disappeared when participants drank first from the sharp-angled cup and second from the curved cup. This suggests that the correspondence emerges using sweet and bitter near-threshold solutions in specific conditions. On the other hand, results also showed that confidence level of responses was significantly higher in the bitter task than in the sweet task. We discuss these complex results in the light of different theoretical proposals to explain this cross-modal correspondence.
Few studies have addressed attitudes toward violence in offender populations using implicit measu... more Few studies have addressed attitudes toward violence in offender populations using implicit measures. The aim of this study is to test whether implicit attitudes toward two types of violence (physical and relational) differ between two groups of adolescent offenders: one group with conduct disorder (CD; n = 36) and the other group without this condition (No-CD; n = 26). We found that adolescent offenders with CD evidenced less negative implicit attitudes toward physical violence than the No-CD group. No differences between groups were observed in the case of relational violence. Our results suggest that CD modulates implicit attitudes toward violence in adolescent offenders and that the influence of CD is stronger in the case of physical rather than relational acts of violence.
Prior studies suggest the relationship between psychotic symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) may b... more Prior studies suggest the relationship between psychotic symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) may be mediated by diverse constructs. QoL in schizophrenia-related disorders has been related with coping with daily stressors. Based on previous studies, our hypothesis was that coping mediates the relationship between psychotic symptoms and QoL. Therefore, the aim of the study was to test the hypothesis in a sample of people with schizophrenia-related disorders from a community rehabilitation center. Sixty-six patients were assessed using PANSS, WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, and COPE Inventory. Regression
RESUMEN La propia naturaleza de la atención, tan diversa, ha contribuído a que, a lo largo de la ... more RESUMEN La propia naturaleza de la atención, tan diversa, ha contribuído a que, a lo largo de la historia del pensamiento, sus estudiosos la hayan concebido de forma muy distinta. Aún hoy encontramos reminiscencias de la controversia generada a raíz de esa heterogeneidad de planteamientos. En este trabajo proponemos una sistematización de la evolución histórica de las variedades atencionales, articulando el discurso a partir de dos ejes principales. El primero se basa en las principales formas de entender la atención a lo largo de la historia: las que la concebían como volición, como agente unificador de la conciencia, como claridad cognoscitiva, como proceso selectivo, como disposición o prepercepción, como acto motor o como apercepción. Cada alternativa conceptual la exponemos, a su vez, siguiendo un segundo eje, que propone tres grandes etapas históricas en el estudio atencional: la Época Fenomenológica (desde la Grecia Clásica hasta principios del siglo XVIII), caracterizada por...
Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite un... more Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite unexplored during the 20th century and only a few sporadic studies dealt with it. Nevertheless, there has been renewed interest in this topic over the past two decades. This interest has come from two perspectives, one related to the current experimental aesthetics and the other from different applied approaches: marketing, packaging, interior design, and security perception, among others. Quite a few studies have demonstrated the effect with different stimuli, conditions, and participants. However, a comprehensive understanding of this effect is still lacking. We present the salient issues of the current studies in order to provide a more complete picture of this phenomenon. The applied research line is a promising field to combine with research from experimental aesthetics. Finally, we indicate a few challenges that experimental research should address to achieve a unified framework for ...
Last descriptions about the Ukraine Crisis varied from escalating to de-escalating East vs. West ... more Last descriptions about the Ukraine Crisis varied from escalating to de-escalating East vs. West scenarios, often accompanied by protagonists of either side (NATO or Russia). We investigated 6 Perception 44(S1)
In the last two decades, contour shape has been widely studied as a factor in visual aesthetic pr... more In the last two decades, contour shape has been widely studied as a factor in visual aesthetic preference. Many studies have shown that humans and other species usually prefer curved to sharp-angled contours. The reasons for this preference, although keenly debated, still remain unclear. Studies of preference for curvature have tended to rely on simple visual stimuli due to the need to control confounding variables, which has limited investigation of this effect in complex stimuli like artworks. Our objective in this study was to test whether the effect of preference for curvature can be extended to the art domain in an ecologically valid setting. We conducted two studies using original artworks exhibited in a museum context. Stimuli consisted of a series of 48 paintings divided into 16 sets with three versions in each set: one curved, one sharp-angled, and one mixed, while color, size and style were controlled for across each set. In both studies, we recorded participants’ preferre...
Lines contribute to the visual experience of drawings. People show a higher preference for curved... more Lines contribute to the visual experience of drawings. People show a higher preference for curved than sharp angled lines. We studied preference for curvature using drawings of commonly-used objects drawn by design students. We also investigated the relationship of that preference with drawing preference. Experiments 1 and 2 revealed preference for the curved drawings in the laboratory and web-based contexts, respectively. Experiment 3 showed that the curved drawings were also preferred to draw than the sharp-angled ones. However, this effect only appeared when the drawings were made by hand, but not when they were made by computer. We found a moderate positive correlation between liking and drawing preference. This relationship was mainly explained by the hand-made drawings. Sex, art experience and openness to experience did not influence preference for curvature. Altogether, our findings support the curvature effect and the hypothesis that people prefer to draw what they like to see.
Evidence dating back a century suggests that humans are sensitive to and exhibit a preference for... more Evidence dating back a century suggests that humans are sensitive to and exhibit a preference for visual curvature. Recently, this effect has been observed in different age groups, human cultures, and primate species, suggesting that a preference for curvature might be universal. At the same time, several studies have found preference for curvature to be modulated by contextual and individual factors, casting doubt on this hypothesis. To resolve these conflicting findings, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of studies that have investigated preference for visual curvature. The results of a three-level random effects model revealed a Hedges’ g of .39—consistent with a medium effect size. Further analyses revealed preference for curvature to be moderated by four factors: Presentation time, stimulus type, expertise, and task. Together, our results suggest that preference for visual curvature is a reliable but not universal phenomenon, and influenced by factors other than perceptua...
Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite un... more Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite unexplored during the 20th century and only a few sporadic studies dealt with it. Nevertheless, there has been renewed interest in this topic over the past two decades. This interest has come from two perspectives, one related to the current experimental aesthetics and the other from different applied approaches: marketing, packaging, interior design, and security perception, among others. Quite a few studies have demonstrated the effect with different stimuli, conditions, and participants. However, a comprehensive understanding of this effect is still lacking. We present the salient issues of the current studies in order to provide a more complete picture of this phenomenon. The applied research line is a promising field to combine with research from experimental aesthetics. Finally, we indicate a few challenges that experimental research should address to achieve a unified framework for ...
Recent studies have pointed out some cross-modal correspondences between flavoured beverages, as ... more Recent studies have pointed out some cross-modal correspondences between flavoured beverages, as well as basic taste solutions, and specific geometric visual cues. Some of them associate known drink tastes to shapes of receptacles. In particular, sweetness is associated with curved receptacles and bitterness with sharp-angled ones. Our study aimed to test the hypothesis according to which near-threshold solutions might also activate this cross-modal correspondence. We used two different cup forms, one curved and the other sharp-angled, with pure sweet and bitter solutions just above sensorial thresholds. We designed two tasks using a two-alternative forced-choice test. Participants had to decide which drink was sweeter, Task 1, and bitterer, Task 2, from the curved and sharp-angled cups. Results showed the cross-modal correspondence but only when participants drank first from the curved cup and second from the sharp-angled cup. The effect disappeared when participants drank first from the sharp-angled cup and second from the curved cup. This suggests that the correspondence emerges using sweet and bitter near-threshold solutions in specific conditions. On the other hand, results also showed that confidence level of responses was significantly higher in the bitter task than in the sweet task. We discuss these complex results in the light of different theoretical proposals to explain this cross-modal correspondence.
Few studies have addressed attitudes toward violence in offender populations using implicit measu... more Few studies have addressed attitudes toward violence in offender populations using implicit measures. The aim of this study is to test whether implicit attitudes toward two types of violence (physical and relational) differ between two groups of adolescent offenders: one group with conduct disorder (CD; n = 36) and the other group without this condition (No-CD; n = 26). We found that adolescent offenders with CD evidenced less negative implicit attitudes toward physical violence than the No-CD group. No differences between groups were observed in the case of relational violence. Our results suggest that CD modulates implicit attitudes toward violence in adolescent offenders and that the influence of CD is stronger in the case of physical rather than relational acts of violence.
Prior studies suggest the relationship between psychotic symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) may b... more Prior studies suggest the relationship between psychotic symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) may be mediated by diverse constructs. QoL in schizophrenia-related disorders has been related with coping with daily stressors. Based on previous studies, our hypothesis was that coping mediates the relationship between psychotic symptoms and QoL. Therefore, the aim of the study was to test the hypothesis in a sample of people with schizophrenia-related disorders from a community rehabilitation center. Sixty-six patients were assessed using PANSS, WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, and COPE Inventory. Regression
RESUMEN La propia naturaleza de la atención, tan diversa, ha contribuído a que, a lo largo de la ... more RESUMEN La propia naturaleza de la atención, tan diversa, ha contribuído a que, a lo largo de la historia del pensamiento, sus estudiosos la hayan concebido de forma muy distinta. Aún hoy encontramos reminiscencias de la controversia generada a raíz de esa heterogeneidad de planteamientos. En este trabajo proponemos una sistematización de la evolución histórica de las variedades atencionales, articulando el discurso a partir de dos ejes principales. El primero se basa en las principales formas de entender la atención a lo largo de la historia: las que la concebían como volición, como agente unificador de la conciencia, como claridad cognoscitiva, como proceso selectivo, como disposición o prepercepción, como acto motor o como apercepción. Cada alternativa conceptual la exponemos, a su vez, siguiendo un segundo eje, que propone tres grandes etapas históricas en el estudio atencional: la Época Fenomenológica (desde la Grecia Clásica hasta principios del siglo XVIII), caracterizada por...
Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite un... more Preference for curved over sharp-angled contours is a well-known effect. However, it was quite unexplored during the 20th century and only a few sporadic studies dealt with it. Nevertheless, there has been renewed interest in this topic over the past two decades. This interest has come from two perspectives, one related to the current experimental aesthetics and the other from different applied approaches: marketing, packaging, interior design, and security perception, among others. Quite a few studies have demonstrated the effect with different stimuli, conditions, and participants. However, a comprehensive understanding of this effect is still lacking. We present the salient issues of the current studies in order to provide a more complete picture of this phenomenon. The applied research line is a promising field to combine with research from experimental aesthetics. Finally, we indicate a few challenges that experimental research should address to achieve a unified framework for ...
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