Abstract
An overview is given on the development of empirical aesthetics at hand of its philosophical basis and psychological experiments (Fechner 1876; Hoge 1997). The golden section was believed to be a central law of aesthetics but seems to lack stability over time as the results of Fechner could not be reproduced: new experiments showed a maximum of preference for square proportions but not for the golden section. Objects of aesthetic interest are widely distributed and not limited to the arts. Human beauty as well as everyday-life material can be judged according to standards of psychological measurement. The study of the human aesthetic experience seems to be more appropriate than the study of objects as the numerical aesthetics failed to show what can be used as a standard element in the respective formulas. Hence, psychological inquiries into the field of aesthetic behavior and experience seem to be more promising to solve the secret of this unique human cognitive functioning. Semantic differential scaling is mostly used to measure the reaction of recipients. Difficulties, however, do arise through the multifaceted aspects of aesthetic stimuli, especially with different layers of meaning in works of art.
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