The human brain is constantly consuming and evaluating what is aesthetically preferable to us. In the paper titled “Social groups and polarization of aesthetic values from symmetry and complexity,” author Dr. Mather and their colleagues aim to advance the field’s understanding of neural processes underlying aesthetic preferences. Specifically, two competing hypotheses are investigated in the context of multi aesthetic-variable interactions: The Independence Hypothesis and Birkhoff’s Aesthetic-Measure Hypothesis (Mather et al., 2023). The Independence Hypothesis maintains that aesthetic variables, including aspects such as symmetry, color, or complexity, are evaluated separately. In contrast, Birkhoff’s Aesthetic-Measure Hypothesis suggests that there is an interactive component that creates combinations of features that are preferable together. In this paper, researchers’ findings did not distinctly support either hypothesis (Mather et al., 2023). Instead, there were aesthetic “islands” observed where people had starkly different aesthetic preferences. This indicates that aesthetic preferences are not universal, but may be influenced by evolutionary, social, or psychological variables. The paper highlighted biological sex, gender, and social norms as a few of many factors that could contribute to these findings.
In the article titled “Aesthetic Preferences and the Rise of Minimalism,” author Jessica Schrader writes about how aesthetic preferences across the globe may be overlapping more than ever. Building upon the idea that neural processing of aesthetic variables may be dependent on one’s lived socio-cultural experience, the author highlights that there are still differences across cultures in terms of how aesthetics are processed neurally (Schrader, 2023). Specifically, Schrader references a study published in Frontiers, titled “Aesthetic Experiences Across Cultures: Neural Correlates When Viewing Traditional Eastern or Western Landscape Paintings.” In this study, neural aesthetic judgement of artwork was highly different across European and Chinese participants (Yang et al, 2019). Though such neurological differences are present, Schrader highlights the global rise of minimalism as heavily influenced by the West. For instance, many brand logos across the globe have opted for minimalistic designs, even in cultures where the general aesthetic preference tends to veer towards complexity and maximalism. Architecture and interior design in many areas of the world has been gearing towards functionalism and simplicity (Schrader, 2023). Even in terms of social gatherings, the author cites that Indian brides have begun to stray away from the traditional red bridal lehengas and towards more ivory dresses. To me, these were examples of how one’s sociocultural lived experience can affect their aesthetic processing. Though the exact reasons for this global aesthetic is unclear, the author suggests various potential arguments as to why this trend is on the rise: Minimalism may be associated with expensive brands or lifestyles, a marker of sustainable consumption rather than overconsumption, or a product of the soft power that the Western hemisphere has over global trends (Schrader, 2023). Even if people have grown in cultures that prefer maximalist aesthetics, these social and cultural influences may affect their evaluation of aesthetic variables, such as complexity, symmetry, color, and more.
It is crucial that the role of social and cultural influences are considered in the neural processing of aesthetic variables. Dr. Mather’s findings challenge the idea that aesthetic processing can be explained by simple, universal rules regarding neural processes. There are other factors that can impact the aesthetic islands people fall into, and the exploration of these factors can prove to be useful in not only neuroscience, but in fields such as therapeutic approaches using art, targeted marketing, or community-centered architecture.
References
Mather, Kathleen B., et al. “Social Groups and Polarization of Aesthetic Values from Symmetry and Complexity.” Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Dec. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47835-w. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Schrader, Jessica. “Aesthetic Preferences and the Rise of Minimalism | Psychology Today.” Www.psychologytoday.com, 2023, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/non-weird-science/202304/aesthetic-preferences-and-the-rise-of-minimalism.
Yang, Taoxi, et al. “Aesthetic Experiences across Cultures: Neural Correlates When Viewing Traditional
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