Is visual aesthetic sensitivity independent from intelligence, personality and creativity?

Abstract

Visual aesthetic sensitivity has been conceived as an intelligence-independent and personality-independent disposition (Frois & Eysenck, 1995). However, recent research suggests that aesthetic experience and its outcomes can be predicted by personality traits (Furnham & Chamorro-Premuzic, 2004; Furnham & Walker, 2001; McCrae, 2007; Rawlings, Barrantes-Vidal, & Furnham, 2000) and is cognitively facilitated (Leder, Belke, Oeberst, & Augustin, 2004; Reber, Schwarz, & Winkielman, 2004; Silvia, 2005, 2006; Smith & Smith, 2006). Following these new findings, three studies (the first ones in France) examined the Visual Aesthetic Sensitivity Test (Götz, Borisy, Lynn, & Eysenck, 1979; Götz, 1985) on young adult samples (Total N=345). It was hypothesized that visual aesthetic sensitivity is related to general intelligence (study 1), specific personality traits (study 2) and figural creativity (study 3). The Visual Aesthetic Sensitivity Test was found to be predicted by intelligence (r=.27; p<.01) openness to aesthetics (r=.27; p<.01) and figural divergent thinking (r=.40; p<.001). Implications for further research are discussed.