Abstract
Symmetry and complexity both affect the aesthetic judgment of abstract patterns. However, although beauty tends to be associated with symmetry, there are indications that small asymmetries can also be beautiful. We investigated the influence of small deviations from symmetry on people's aesthetic liking for abstract patterns. Breaking symmetry not only decreased patterns' symmetry but also increased their complexity. While an increase of complexity normally results in a higher liking, we found that even a small decrease of symmetry has a strong effect, such that patterns with slightly broken symmetries were significantly less liked than fully symmetric ones.
Highlights
A number of factors, including symmetry and complexity, influence aesthetic evaluations (e.g. Berlyne, 1970; Leder, Belke, Oeberst, & Augustin, 2004)
Symmetry was considered the best predictor of aesthetic judgments, while complexity appeared to be the second-best (Jacobsen & Höfel, 2002; Tinio & Leder, 2009)
We studied the effect of minor asymmetries on liking for abstract patterns
Summary
A number of factors, including symmetry and complexity, influence aesthetic evaluations (e.g. Berlyne, 1970; Leder, Belke, Oeberst, & Augustin, 2004). Symmetry was considered the best predictor of aesthetic judgments, while complexity appeared to be the second-best (Jacobsen & Höfel, 2002; Tinio & Leder, 2009). We studied the effect of minor asymmetries on liking for abstract patterns.
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