Psychology of Aesthetics: The dynamics of innovation and appreciation over time

Aesthetics are an important topic in cognitive sciences, and can be particularly well investigated using material which differs in its perceived innovativeness. We have recently shown (Leder & Carbon, 2005, Carbon & Leder, 2005) that innovative objects are initially disliked but increasingly become appreciated as a consequence of repeated evaluation. Basing on these findings we propose experiments which aim to investigate important issues such as the time course of aesthetic appreciation, the affective and cognitive sources of appreciation, generalization of such effects, changes in physiological changes of repetition and appreciation, a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between familiarity, prototypicality, novelty, and innovation, and finally the role of expertise. As innovativeness is an important feature in modern art (Leder et al. 2004) and industrial design we propose to use stimuli representing these object classes plus artificial artworks which are well suited to systematically investigate effects of aesthetic appreciation and innovativeness. The project is planned to substantially improve theories of aesthetics, to understand dynamical adaptation towards innovation and to analyze how cognition and affect play together in aesthetic appreciation.

Our aesthetic sense divides the world into beautiful and not so beautiful things. We often do not like new things that we encounter at first sight. However, we tend to appreciate them after we use them. This is particularly the case for innovative objects, such as new and creative consumer products, fancy design products, and modern art. In the project, we used a paradigm in which we familiarized people with high or low innovative materials. We measured how different kinds of familiarization affected what they liked and how their liking developed or changed over time. In a series of empirical studies, we found that it is not just familiarization with the objects that increased liking, but that active evaluation changes the processing in a distinct way, particularly for innovative materials: high innovative materials became more liked, while conservative, low innovative materials became less liked. In our project, we compared different conditions, tasks, and materials. We found that the effects of increased liking for innovative materials were particularly strong if, during the familiarization phase, the situation stressed fascination and openness to novelty, which are particularly salient aspects of innovative products. On the other hand, when the situation warranted caution, innovation did not elicit such differential dynamics. In a related study, we also found that the mode and situation of fascination or caution also affected the general role that aesthetics played on behaviour. During familiarization, different mindsets with regard to appreciation might be activated. To understand the effects of these different mindsets, we varied the situations in several studies, by activating different kinds of information. Strong changes were elicited, especially when the situations included additional appreciation- relevant dimensions related to innovation. We also found that the innovative products profited; they were less likely to elicit boredom. In comparing different sets of high-innovative and low-innovative products, we learned that innovation only has effects when it is made apparent, such as when both low and high innovative materials are presented together. From the project, we also learned more about other object features that elicit positive aesthetic reactions, and how stable such reactions are. We also studied other psychologically relevant states such as the effects of experienced ambiguity, cognitive evaluations, how people choose products, and what determines love for modern art, which are often innovative and ambiguous. Regarding changes in the appreciation of innovation, using psycho-physiological measures we also found, that the effects come along with changes in perception and emotional appeal, e.g. changes in eye-movements towards innovative elements, increased pupil size and skin- conductance informed about the fascinating and dynamic changes that the appreciation of innovation undergoes through active evaluation. We believe that we now have a better understanding of the role of dynamic changes in innovation in the realm of science, appreciation of consumer products, technology, and arts. These are areas in which the appreciation of innovation determines economic and cultural advancement!