Abstract
There is extensive evidence today linking exposure to natural environments to favorable changes in mental and even physical health. There is also a growing body of work indicating that there are specific geometric properties of natural scenes that mediate these effects, and that these properties can also be found in artificial structures like buildings, especially those designed before the emergence of modernism. These geometries are also associated with aesthetic preference–we seem to like what is good for us. Here, using a questionnaire-based survey, we have tried to elucidate some of the parameters that play a role in formulating a preference for one form over the other. The images used were nature scenes from the Alpine landscape with various manipulations to alter their complexity, or with additions of computer graphics or various buildings. In all cases, the presence of a natural scaling hierarchy and of either fractal graphics or of ornate, non-local pre-modern buildings was always preferable to the alternative. We discuss these findings under the light of recent evidence in the field and conclude that they support the idea of the existence of a preference of our perceptive system for certain types of visual organization.
Highlights
Starting from the classic work of Hubel and Wiesel [1, 2] the effect of visual input on the visual system has been well documented, and the physiological influence of visual and other environmental enrichment on the brain at the molecular, anatomical and functional level has been studied extensively
Many researchers have turned their attention to the potential physiological impact of the visual organization of our surroundings, either natural or artificial [6,7,8,9]
We expected image versions that were deemed more beautiful to be seen as more interesting, because of the increased amount of information they presented for the viewer to explore [43]
Summary
Starting from the classic work of Hubel and Wiesel [1, 2] the effect of visual input on the visual system has been well documented, and the physiological influence of visual and other environmental enrichment on the brain at the molecular, anatomical and functional level has been studied extensively (for reviews, see [3,4,5]). Many researchers have turned their attention to the potential physiological impact of the visual organization of our surroundings, either natural or artificial [6,7,8,9]. Natural surroundings have been shown to exert positive effects (sometimes by simple viewing of images) in mood [11], reducing stress [12], improving concentration and working memory [13,14,15,16,17], self-perceived health [18] and even, amazingly, self-esteem [11, 19]. Other intriguing findings include the association of exposure to natural forms to a reduction of criminal behavior [20, 21] and the, famous, finding of improved recovery from surgery [22].
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