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Roth TS, Samara I, Perea-Garcia JO, Kret ME. Individual attractiveness preferences differentially modulate immediate and voluntary attention. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2147. [PMID: 36750588 PMCID: PMC9905556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29240-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical attractiveness plays a crucial role in mate choice for both men and women. This is reflected in visual attention: people immediately attend towards and look longer at attractive faces, especially when they are motivated to find a partner. However, previous studies did not incorporate real-life dating decisions. Here, we aimed to combine attentional tasks with individual attractiveness ratings and a real-life mate choice context, namely a speed-dating paradigm. We investigated whether heterosexual non-committed young adults showed biases in immediate and voluntary attention towards attractive faces and preferred dating partners. In line with previous research, we found considerable individual differences in individual attractiveness preferences. Furthermore, our results showed that men had a bias towards attractive faces and preferred dating partners in the immediate attention task, while results for women were mixed. In the voluntary attention task, however, both men and women had an attentional bias towards attractive faces and preferred dating partners. Our results suggest that individual attractiveness preferences are good predictors of especially voluntary attention. We discuss these findings from an evolutionary perspective and suggest directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom S Roth
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Apenheul Primate Park, J.C. Wilslaan 21, 7313 HK, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. .,Animal Behaviour & Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Iliana Samara
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Juan Olvido Perea-Garcia
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E Kret
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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Akselevich V, Gilaie-Dotan S. Positive and negative facial valence perception are modulated differently by eccentricity in the parafovea. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21693. [PMID: 36522350 PMCID: PMC9755278 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24919-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding whether people around us are in a good, bad or neutral mood can be critical to our behavior, both when looking directly at them or when they are in our peripheral visual field. However, facial expressions of emotions are often investigated at central visual field or at locations right or left of fixation. Here we assumed that perception of facial emotional valence (the emotion's pleasantness) changes with distance from central visual field (eccentricity) and that different emotions may be influenced differently by eccentricity. Participants (n = 58) judged the valence of emotional faces across the parafovea (≤ 4°, positive (happy), negative (fearful), or neutral)) while their eyes were being tracked. As expected, performance decreased with eccentricity. Positive valence perception was least affected by eccentricity (accuracy reduction of 10-19% at 4°) and negative the most (accuracy reduction of 35-38% at 4°), and this was not a result of speed-accuracy trade-off or response biases. Within-valence (but not across-valence) performance was associated across eccentricities suggesting perception of different valences is supported by different mechanisms. While our results may not generalize to all positive and negative emotions, they indicate that beyond-foveal investigations can reveal additional characteristics of the mechanisms that underlie facial expression processing and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasilisa Akselevich
- grid.22098.310000 0004 1937 0503School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, 5290002 Ramat Gan, Israel ,grid.22098.310000 0004 1937 0503The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Gilaie-Dotan
- grid.22098.310000 0004 1937 0503School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar Ilan University, 5290002 Ramat Gan, Israel ,grid.22098.310000 0004 1937 0503The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK
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3
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Srikantharajah J, Ellard C. How central and peripheral vision influence focal and ambient processing during scene viewing. J Vis 2022; 22:4. [PMID: 36322076 PMCID: PMC9639699 DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.12.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Central and peripheral vision carry out different functions during scene processing. The ambient mode of visual processing is more likely to involve peripheral visual processes, whereas the focal mode of visual processing is more likely to involve central visual processes. Although the ambient mode is responsible for navigating space and comprehending scene layout, the focal mode gathers detailed information as central vision is oriented to salient areas of the visual field. Previous work suggests that during the time course of scene viewing, there is a transition from ambient processing during the first few seconds to focal processing during later time intervals, characterized by longer fixations and shorter saccades. In this study, we identify the influence of central and peripheral vision on changes in eye movements and the transition from ambient to focal processing during the time course of scene processing. Using a gaze-contingent protocol, we restricted the visual field to central or peripheral vision while participants freely viewed scenes for 20 seconds. Results indicated that fixation durations are shorter when vision is restricted to central vision compared to normal vision. During late visual processing, fixations in peripheral vision were longer than those in central vision. We show that a transition from more ambient to more focal processing during scene viewing will occur even when vision is restricted to only central vision or peripheral vision.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colin Ellard
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada,
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4
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Mitrovic A, Hegelmaier LM, Leder H, Pelowski M. Does beauty capture the eye, even if it's not (overtly) adaptive? A comparative eye-tracking study of spontaneous attention and visual preference with VAST abstract art. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 209:103133. [PMID: 32717655 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have routinely shown that individuals spend more time spontaneously looking at people or at mimetic scenes that they subsequently judge to be more aesthetically appealing. This "beauty demands longer looks" phenomenon is typically explained by biological relevance, personal utility, or other survival factors, with visual attraction often driven by structural features (symmetry, texture), which may signify fitness and to which most humans tend to respond similarly. However, what of objects that have less overtly adaptive relevance? Here, we consider whether people also look longer at abstract art with little associative/mimetic content that they subsequently rate for higher aesthetic appeal. We employed the "Visual aesthetic sensitivity test" (VAST), which consists of pairs of matched abstract designs with one example of each pair argued to be objectively 'aesthetically better' in regards to low-level features, thus offering a potential contrast between 'objective' (physical feature-based) and 'subjective' (personal taste-based) assessments. Participants (29 women) first looked at image pairs without a specific task and then in three follow-up blocks indicated their preference within the pairs and rated the individual images for liking and for presumed ratings by an art expert. More preferred designs were looked at longer. However, longer looking only occurred in line with participants' subjective tastes. This suggests a general correlation of attention and visual beauty, which-in abstract art-may nonetheless be related to features that are not identified by experts as more generally appealing and thus may not directly map to other (more utility-related) stimuli types.
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5
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Øvervoll M, Schettino I, Suzuki H, Okubo M, Laeng B. Filtered beauty in Oslo and Tokyo: A spatial frequency analysis of facial attractiveness. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227513. [PMID: 31935264 PMCID: PMC6959585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Images of European female and male faces were digitally processed to generate spatial frequency (SF) filtered images containing only a narrow band of visual information within the Fourier spectrum. The original unfiltered images and four SF filtered images (low, medium-low, medium-high and high) were then paired in trials that kept constant SF band and face gender and participants made a forced-choice decision about the more attractive among the two faces. In this way, we aimed at identifying those specific SF bands where forced-choice preferences corresponded best to forced-choice judgements made when viewing the natural, broadband, facial images. We found that aesthetic preferences dissociated across SFs and face gender, but similarly for participants from Asia (Japan) and Europe (Norway). Specifically, preferences when viewing SF filtered images were best related to the preference with the broadband face images when viewing the highest filtering band for the female faces (about 48-77 cycles per face). In contrast, for the male faces, the medium-low SF band (about 11-19 cpf) related best to choices made with the natural facial images. Eye tracking provided converging evidence for the above, gender-related, SF dissociations. We suggest greater aesthetic relevance of the mobile and communicative parts for the female face and, conversely, of the rigid, structural, parts for the male face for facial aesthetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Øvervoll
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø (The Arctic University of Norway), Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Hikaru Suzuki
- Department of Psychology, Senshu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Matia Okubo
- Department of Psychology, Senshu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Bruno Laeng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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6
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Faust NT, Chatterjee A, Christopoulos GI. Beauty in the eyes and the hand of the beholder: Eye and hand movements' differential responses to facial attractiveness. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Hermens F, Golubickis M, Macrae CN. Eye movements while judging faces for trustworthiness and dominance. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5702. [PMID: 30324015 PMCID: PMC6186410 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Past studies examining how people judge faces for trustworthiness and dominance have suggested that they use particular facial features (e.g. mouth features for trustworthiness, eyebrow and cheek features for dominance ratings) to complete the task. Here, we examine whether eye movements during the task reflect the importance of these features. We here compared eye movements for trustworthiness and dominance ratings of face images under three stimulus configurations: Small images (mimicking large viewing distances), large images (mimicking face to face viewing), and a moving window condition (removing extrafoveal information). Whereas first area fixated, dwell times, and number of fixations depended on the size of the stimuli and the availability of extrafoveal vision, and varied substantially across participants, no clear task differences were found. These results indicate that gaze patterns for face stimuli are highly individual, do not vary between trustworthiness and dominance ratings, but are influenced by the size of the stimuli and the availability of extrafoveal vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frouke Hermens
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
| | | | - C. Neil Macrae
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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8
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Nakamura K, Kawabata H. Preferential access to awareness of attractive faces in a breaking continuous flash suppression paradigm. Conscious Cogn 2018; 65:71-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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9
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Webb ALM, Hibbard PB, O'Gorman R. Natural variation in female reproductive hormones does not affect contrast sensitivity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171566. [PMID: 29515869 PMCID: PMC5830758 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that females experience adaptive shifts in facial preferences across the menstrual cycle. However, recent discussions and meta-analyses suggest that these findings are equivocal. A previously unexplored question is the extent to which shifts in female preferences are modulated by hormone-dependent changes occurring in low-level vision, such as visual sensitivity. This mechanistic approach has been a novel method for investigating the extent to which complex perceptual phenomena are driven by low-level versus higher-level perceptual processes. We investigated whether the contrast sensitivity function-an early dimension of vision-is also influenced by variation in female reproductive hormones. Visual contrast thresholds were measured for 1, 4 and 16 cycles/degree gratings during the ovulatory, luteal and menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle in naturally cycling women, and women using oral contraceptives. Male participants were tested at similar time intervals. Results showed that visual contrast sensitivity does not differ according to sex, or use of oral contraception, nor does it vary relative to hormonal shifts across the menstrual cycle. These findings suggest that shifts in female preferences are not driven by changes in visual sensitivity, and are therefore likely attributable to changes in higher-level perception or cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail L. M. Webb
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
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10
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Brielmann AA, Vale L, Pelli DG. Beauty at a glance: The feeling of beauty and the amplitude of pleasure are independent of stimulus duration. J Vis 2017; 17:9. [PMID: 29228142 PMCID: PMC6894407 DOI: 10.1167/17.14.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Over time, how does beauty develop and decay? Common sense suggests that beauty is intensely felt only after prolonged experience of the object. Here, we present one of various stimuli for a variable duration (1–30 s), measure the observers' pleasure over time, and, finally, ask whether they felt beauty. On each trial, participants (N = 21) either see an image that they had chosen as “movingly beautiful,” see an image with prerated valence, or suck a candy. During the stimulus and a further 60 s, participants rate pleasure continuously using a custom touchscreen web app, EmotionTracker.com. After each trial, participants judge whether they felt beauty. Across all stimulus kinds, durations, and beauty responses, the dynamic pleasure rating has a stereotypical time course that is well fit by a one-parameter model with a brief exponential onset (roughly 2.5 s), a sustained plateau during stimulus presentation, and a long exponential decay (roughly 70 s). Across conditions, only the plateau amplitude varies. Beauty and pleasure amplitude are nearly independent of stimulus duration. The final beauty rating is positively correlated with pleasure amplitude (r = 0.60), and nearly independent of duration (r = 0.10). Beauty's independence from duration is unlike Bentham's 18th-century notion of value (utility), which he supposed to depend on the product of pleasure amplitude and duration. Participants report having felt pleasure as strongly after a mere 1 s stimulus as after longer durations, up to 30 s. Thus, we find that amplitude of pleasure is independent of stimulus duration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren Vale
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Denis G Pelli
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, USA
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11
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Li J, Oksama L, Hyönä J. How facial attractiveness affects sustained attention. Scand J Psychol 2016; 57:383-92. [DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Section of Applied Psychology; Beijing Sport University; China
| | - Lauri Oksama
- Department of Behavioral Sciences; National Defense University; Finland
| | - Jukka Hyönä
- Department of Psychology; University of Turku; Finland
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12
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Staugaard CF, Petersen A, Vangkilde S. Eccentricity effects in vision and attention. Neuropsychologia 2016; 92:69-78. [PMID: 27342258 PMCID: PMC5127899 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Stimulus eccentricity affects visual processing in multiple ways. Performance on a visual task is often better when target stimuli are presented near or at the fovea compared to the retinal periphery. For instance, reaction times and error rates are often reported to increase with increasing eccentricity. Such findings have been interpreted as purely visual, reflecting neurophysiological differences in central and peripheral vision, as well as attentional, reflecting a central bias in the allocation of attentional resources. Other findings indicate that in some cases, information from the periphery is preferentially processed. Specifically, it has been suggested that visual processing speed increases with increasing stimulus eccentricity, and that this positive correlation is reduced, but not eliminated, when the amount of cortex activated by a stimulus is kept constant by magnifying peripheral stimuli (Carrasco et al., 2003). In this study, we investigated effects of eccentricity on visual attentional capacity with and without magnification, using computational modeling based on Bundesen's (1990) theory of visual attention. Our results suggest a general decrease in attentional capacity with increasing stimulus eccentricity, irrespective of magnification. We discuss these results in relation to the physiology of the visual system, the use of different paradigms for investigating visual perception across the visual field, and the use of different stimulus materials (e.g. Gabor patches vs. letters). Visual capacity for letter stimuli decreases toward the visual periphery. The decrease in visual capacity is irrespective of cortical magnification. Peripheral performance might depend on the specific stimuli and task demands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anders Petersen
- Center for Visual Cognition, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Center for Visual Cognition, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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13
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Rampone G, O’ Sullivan N, Bertamini M. The Role of Visual Eccentricity on Preference for Abstract Symmetry. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154428. [PMID: 27124081 PMCID: PMC4849760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This study tested preference for abstract patterns, comparing random patterns to a two-fold bilateral symmetry. Stimuli were presented at random locations in the periphery. Preference for bilateral symmetry has been extensively studied in central vision, but evaluation at different locations had not been systematically investigated. Patterns were presented for 200 ms within a large circular region. On each trial participant changed fixation and were instructed to select any location. Eccentricity values were calculated a posteriori as the distance between ocular coordinates at pattern onset and coordinates for the centre of the pattern. Experiment 1 consisted of two Tasks. In Task 1, participants detected pattern regularity as fast as possible. In Task 2 they evaluated their liking for the pattern on a Likert-scale. Results from Task 1 revealed that with our parameters eccentricity did not affect symmetry detection. However, in Task 2, eccentricity predicted more negative evaluation of symmetry, but not random patterns. In Experiment 2 participants were either presented with symmetry or random patterns. Regularity was task-irrelevant in this task. Participants discriminated the proportion of black/white dots within the pattern and then evaluated their liking for the pattern. Even when only one type of regularity was presented and regularity was task-irrelevant, preference evaluation for symmetry decreased with increasing eccentricity, whereas eccentricity did not affect the evaluation of random patterns. We conclude that symmetry appreciation is higher for foveal presentation in a way not fully accounted for by sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Rampone
- University of Liverpool, Department of Psychological Sciences, Eleanor Rathbone Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Noreen O’ Sullivan
- Liverpool John Moores University, Institute of Natural Sciences & Psychology, School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Bertamini
- University of Liverpool, Department of Psychological Sciences, Eleanor Rathbone Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom
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14
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Mo C, Xia T, Qin K, Mo L. Natural Tendency towards Beauty in Humans: Evidence from Binocular Rivalry. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150147. [PMID: 26930202 PMCID: PMC4773156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although human preference for beauty is common and compelling in daily life, it remains unknown whether such preference is essentially subserved by social cognitive demands or natural tendency towards beauty encoded in the human mind intrinsically. Here we demonstrate experimentally that humans automatically exhibit preference for visual and moral beauty without explicit cognitive efforts. Using a binocular rivalry paradigm, we identified enhanced gender-independent perceptual dominance for physically attractive persons, and the results suggested universal preference for visual beauty based on perceivable forms. Moreover, we also identified perceptual dominance enhancement for characters associated with virtuous descriptions after controlling for facial attractiveness and vigilance-related attention effects, which suggested a similar implicit preference for moral beauty conveyed in prosocial behaviours. Our findings show that behavioural preference for beauty is driven by an inherent natural tendency towards beauty in humans rather than explicit social cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ce Mo
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiansheng Xia
- Business School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaixin Qin
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Mo
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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15
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Kuraguchi K, Ashida H. Beauty and cuteness in peripheral vision. Front Psychol 2015; 6:566. [PMID: 25999883 PMCID: PMC4419665 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Guo et al. (2011) showed that attractiveness was detectable in peripheral vision. Since there are different types of attractiveness (Rhodes, 2006), we investigated how beauty and cuteness are detected in peripheral vision with a brief presentation. Participants (n = 45) observed two Japanese female faces for 100 ms, then were asked to respond which face was more beautiful (or cuter). The results indicated that both beauty and cuteness were detectable in peripheral vision, but not in the same manner. Discrimination rates for judging beauty were invariant in peripheral and central vision, while discrimination rates for judging cuteness declined in peripheral vision as compared with central vision. This was not explained by lower resolution in peripheral vision. In addition, for male participants, it was more difficult to judge cuteness than beauty in peripheral vision, thus suggesting that gender differences can have a certain effect when judging cuteness. Therefore, central vision might be suitable for judging cuteness while judging beauty might not be affected by either central or peripheral vision. This might be related with the functional difference between beauty and cuteness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Kuraguchi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ashida
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University Kyoto, Japan
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16
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Leder H, Nadal M. Ten years of a model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments : The aesthetic episode - Developments and challenges in empirical aesthetics. Br J Psychol 2015; 105:443-64. [PMID: 25280118 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
About a decade ago, psychology of the arts started to gain momentum owing to a number of drives: technological progress improved the conditions under which art could be studied in the laboratory, neuroscience discovered the arts as an area of interest, and new theories offered a more comprehensive look at aesthetic experiences. Ten years ago, Leder, Belke, Oeberst, and Augustin (2004) proposed a descriptive information-processing model of the components that integrate an aesthetic episode. This theory offered explanations for modern art's large number of individualized styles, innovativeness, and for the diverse aesthetic experiences it can stimulate. In addition, it described how information is processed over the time course of an aesthetic episode, within and over perceptual, cognitive and emotional components. Here, we review the current state of the model, and its relation to the major topics in empirical aesthetics today, including the nature of aesthetic emotions, the role of context, and the neural and evolutionary foundations of art and aesthetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Leder
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, University of Vienna, Austria
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17
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18
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Nakamura K, Kawabata H. Attractive faces temporally modulate visual attention. Front Psychol 2014; 5:620. [PMID: 24994994 PMCID: PMC4061897 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial attractiveness is an important biological and social signal on social interaction. Recent research has demonstrated that an attractive face captures greater spatial attention than an unattractive face does. Little is known, however, about the temporal characteristics of visual attention for facial attractiveness. In this study, we investigated the temporal modulation of visual attention induced by facial attractiveness by using a rapid serial visual presentation. Fourteen male faces and two female faces were successively presented for 160 ms, respectively, and participants were asked to identify two female faces embedded among a series of multiple male distractor faces. Identification of a second female target (T2) was impaired when a first target (T1) was attractive compared to neutral or unattractive faces, at 320 ms stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA); identification was improved when T1 was attractive compared to unattractive faces at 640 ms SOA. These findings suggest that the spontaneous appraisal of facial attractiveness modulates temporal attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koyo Nakamura
- Department of Psychology, Keio University Tokyo, Japan
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20
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Abnormal fixation in individuals with age-related macular degeneration when viewing an image of a face. Optom Vis Sci 2013; 90:45-56. [PMID: 23238260 DOI: 10.1097/opx.0b013e3182794775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE It has been reported that patients with macular disease have difficulties with face perception. Some of this difficulty may be caused by the sensory and perceptual consequences of using peripheral retina. However, strong correlations have not always been found between performance on face tasks and clinical measure of function. Based on the evidence of abnormal eye movements by patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), we explored whether abnormal fixation patterns occur when these patients view an image of a face. METHODS An OPKO OCT/SLO was used to collect structural and functional data. For each subject, the structural location of disease was determined, and the locus and stability of fixation were quantified. A SLO movie of fundus movements was recorded while the subject viewed an image of a face. RESULTS The number of fixations on internal (eyes, nose, and mouth) and external features were measured. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance found significant differences between the control and patient groups and among locations. A significant interaction between group and location was also found. Post hoc comparisons found a significantly greater proportion of fixations on external features for the AMD group than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The observed patterns of fixations of our subjects with AMD were similar to those observed in other groups of patients who have difficulties with face perception. For example, individuals with social phobias, Williams syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, or prosopagnosia have altered face perceptions and also have a significantly greater proportion of fixations on external features of faces. Abnormal eye movement patterns and fixations may contribute to deficits in face perception in AMD patients.
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Boucart M, Moroni C, Thibaut M, Szaffarczyk S, Greene M. Scene categorization at large visual eccentricities. Vision Res 2013; 86:35-42. [PMID: 23597581 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2012] [Revised: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies of scene perception have shown that the visual system is particularly sensitive to global properties such as the overall layout of a scene. Such global properties cannot be computed locally, but rather require relational analysis over multiple regions. To what extent is observers' perception of scenes impaired in the far periphery? We examined the perception of global scene properties (Experiment 1) and basic-level categories (Experiment 2) presented in the periphery from 10° to 70°. Pairs of scene photographs were simultaneously presented left and right of fixation for 80ms on a panoramic screen (5m diameter) covering the whole visual field while central fixation was controlled. Observers were instructed to press a key corresponding to the spatial location left/right of a pre-defined target property or category. The results show that classification of global scene properties (e.g., naturalness, openness) as well as basic-level categorization (e.g., forests, highways), while better near the center, were accomplished with a performance highly above chance (around 70% correct) in the far periphery even at 70° eccentricity. The perception of some global properties (e.g., naturalness) was more robust in peripheral vision than others (e.g., indoor/outdoor) that required a more local analysis. The results are consistent with studies suggesting that scene gist recognition can be accomplished by the low resolution of peripheral vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Boucart
- Lab. Neurosciences Fonctionnelles & Pathologies, Université Lille-Nord de France, CHU Lille, CNRS, France.
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Anton-Erxleben K, Herrmann K, Carrasco M. Independent effects of adaptation and attention on perceived speed. Psychol Sci 2012; 24:150-9. [PMID: 23241456 DOI: 10.1177/0956797612449178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation and attention are two mechanisms by which sensory systems manage limited bioenergetic resources: Whereas adaptation decreases sensitivity to stimuli just encountered, attention increases sensitivity to behaviorally relevant stimuli. In the visual system, these changes in sensitivity are accompanied by a change in the appearance of different stimulus dimensions, such as speed. Adaptation causes an underestimation of speed, whereas attention leads to an overestimation of speed. In the two experiments reported here, we investigated whether the effects of these mechanisms interact and how they affect the appearance of stimulus features. We tested the effects of adaptation and the subsequent allocation of attention on perceived speed. A quickly moving adaptor decreased the perceived speed of subsequent stimuli, whereas a slow adaptor did not alter perceived speed. Attention increased perceived speed regardless of the adaptation effect, which indicates that adaptation and attention affect perceived speed independently. Moreover, the finding that attention can alter perceived speed after adaptation indicates that adaptation is not merely a by-product of neuronal fatigue.
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Liu CH, Chen W. Beauty is Better Pursued: Effects of Attractiveness in Multiple-Face Tracking. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2012; 65:553-64. [DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2011.624186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Using the multiple-object tracking paradigm, this study examines how spontaneous appraisal for facial beauty affects distributed attention to multiple faces in dynamic displays. Observers tracked attractive faces more effectively than unattractive faces in this task. Tracking performance was only affected by target attractiveness, suggesting an absence of appraisal for distractor attractiveness. Attractive male faces also produced stronger binding of face identity and location for female participants. Together, the results suggest that facial attractiveness was appraised during tracking even though this was task irrelevant. Contrary to the theory that multiple-object tracking is driven by encapsulated low-level vision, our results show that the content of target representation is not only penetrable by social cognition but also modulates the course of tracking operations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenfeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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