The cycle of preference: Long-term dynamics of aesthetic appreciation
Abstract According to evolutionary psychology people prefer curved objects. We provide evidence that preferences for curved objects might be biologically motivated, but can also be, at least partly, modulated by fashion, trends or Zeitgeist effects. In four studies, participants (n1 = 38, n2 = 40, n3 = 38, n4 = 38) rated the curvature and appreciation of car models for ten 5-y periods (1950–1999). A parabolic function of curvature, with the lowest curvature for 1980s designs, was documented. Further, appreciation followed this parabolic trend. We revealed adaptation effects as plausible candidates for triggering such changes in preference. In sum, as appreciation of curvature changes dynamically over time, any study aiming to find static and general principles of liking regarding curvature is confounded with Zeitgeist effects. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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http://www.experimental-psychology.de/ccc/docs/pubs/Carbon2010b.pdf

LOCATION

University of Bamberg, Markusplatz 3, D-96047 Bamberg, Germany

CLIENT

Public

YEAR

2010

STATUS

Approved 13 February 2010

PROGRAM

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TEAM LEADER

Claus-Christian Carbon

TEAM

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COLLABORATORS

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