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20 pages, 6730 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Interpretation of E-Motions in Faces and Bodies Derived from Static Artworks by Individuals with High Functioning Autistic Spectrum

by Maria Elisa Della-Torre, Daniele Zavagno and Rossana Actis-Grosso

Vision 2021, 5(2), 17; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision5020017 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2709

Abstract

E-motions are defined as those affective states the expressions of which—conveyed either by static faces or body posture—embody a dynamic component and, consequently, convey a higher sense of dynamicity than other emotional expressions. An experiment is presented, aimed at testing whether e-motions are [...] Read more.

E-motions are defined as those affective states the expressions of which—conveyed either by static faces or body posture—embody a dynamic component and, consequently, convey a higher sense of dynamicity than other emotional expressions. An experiment is presented, aimed at testing whether e-motions are perceived as such also by individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which have been associated with impairments in emotion recognition and in motion perception. To this aim we replicate with ASD individuals a study, originally conducted with typically developed individuals (TDs), in which we showed to both ASD and TD participants 14 bodiless heads and 14 headless bodies taken from eleven static artworks and four drawings. The Experiment was divided into two sessions. In Session 1 participants were asked to freely associate each stimulus to an emotion or an affective state (Task 1, option A); if they were unable to find a specific emotion, the experimenter showed them a list of eight possible emotions (words) and asked them to choose one from such list, that best described the affective state portrayed in the image (Task 1, option B). After their choice, they were asked to rate the intensity of the perceived emotion on a seven point Likert scale (Task 2). In Session 2 participants were requested to evaluate the degree of dynamicity conveyed by each stimulus on a 7 point Likert scale. Results showed that ASDs and TDs shared a similar range of verbal expressions defining emotions; however, ASDs (i) showed an impairment in the ability to spontaneously assign an emotion to a headless body, and (ii) they more frequently used terms denoting negative emotions (for both faces and bodies) as compared to neutral emotions, which in turn were more frequently used by TDs. No difference emerged between the two groups for positive emotions, with happiness being the emotion better recognized in both faces and in bodies. Although overall there are no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the emotions assigned to the images and the degree of perceived dynamicity, the interaction Artwork x Group showed that for some images ASDs assigned a different value than TDs to perceived dynamicity. Moreover, two images were interpreted by ASDs as conveying completely different emotions than those perceived by TDs. Results are discussed in light of the ability of ASDs to resolve ambiguity, and of possible different cognitive styles characterizing the aesthetical/emotional experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

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14 pages, 1506 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Further Empirical Evidence on Patrick Hughes’ Reverspectives: A Pilot Study

by Alessandra Galmonte, Mauro Murgia, Fabrizio Sors, Valter Prpic and Tiziano Agostini

Vision 2021, 5(1), 2; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision5010002 - 26 Dec 2020

Viewed by 3221

Abstract

Reverspectives are paintings created by the English artist Patrick Hughes. They are 3D structures, for example, pyramids or prisms, which elicit an illusory depth perception that corresponds to the reverse of the physical depth layout. Rogers and Gyani state that “the perspective [...] Read more.

Reverspectives are paintings created by the English artist Patrick Hughes. They are 3D structures, for example, pyramids or prisms, which elicit an illusory depth perception that corresponds to the reverse of the physical depth layout. Rogers and Gyani state that “the perspective information provided by a simple grid of vertical and horizontal lines on a slanting surface can be just as powerful as the information provided by a rich, naturalistic scene”. The present experiment was aimed to further investigate this perspective reversal. Three independent variables were manipulated: (1) texture components (i.e., vertical, horizontal, and oblique lines components), (2) texture spatial arrangement (i.e., Hughes-type “perspective” grid vs. equidistant “no perspective” grid), and (3) illumination direction (i.e., homogeneous illumination, light from above, and light from below). The dependent variable was the “critical distance”, namely, the distance between an approaching observer and the stimulus at which the illusory depth perception of concavity/convexity switched to the actual perception of convexity/concavity. The results showed that a stronger illusion is elicited by: (a) a Hughes-type texture spatial arrangement; (b) a complete grid texture composition, having both vertical and horizontal, and oblique components; and (c) illumination from below, as opposed to the condition in which light is coming from above. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

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8 pages, 435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aesthetic Image Statistics Vary with Artistic Genre

by George Mather

Vision 2020, 4(1), 10; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision4010010 - 01 Feb 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2596 | Correction

Abstract

Research to date has not found strong evidence for a universal link between any single low-level image statistic, such as fractal dimension or Fourier spectral slope, and aesthetic ratings of images in general. This study assessed whether different image statistics are important for [...] Read more.

Research to date has not found strong evidence for a universal link between any single low-level image statistic, such as fractal dimension or Fourier spectral slope, and aesthetic ratings of images in general. This study assessed whether different image statistics are important for artistic images containing different subjects and used partial least squares regression (PLSR) to identify the statistics that correlated most reliably with ratings. Fourier spectral slope, fractal dimension and Shannon entropy were estimated separately for paintings containing landscapes, people, still life, portraits, nudes, animals, buildings and abstracts. Separate analyses were performed on the luminance and colour information in the images. PLSR fits showed shared variance of up to 75% between image statistics and aesthetic ratings. The most important statistics and image planes varied across genres. Variation in statistics may reflect characteristic properties of the different neural sub-systems that process different types of image. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

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13 pages, 2598 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Individual Differences in Aesthetic Preferences for Multi-Sensorial Stimulation

by Jie Gao and Alessandro Soranzo

Vision 2020, 4(1), 6; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision4010006 - 06 Jan 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2986

Abstract

The aim of the current project was to investigate aesthetics in multi-sensorial stimulation and to explore individual differences in the process. We measured the aesthetics of interactive objects (IOs) which are three-dimensional objects with electronic components that exhibit an autonomous behaviour when handled, [...] Read more.

The aim of the current project was to investigate aesthetics in multi-sensorial stimulation and to explore individual differences in the process. We measured the aesthetics of interactive objects (IOs) which are three-dimensional objects with electronic components that exhibit an autonomous behaviour when handled, e.g., vibrating, playing a sound, or lighting-up. The Q-sorting procedure of Q-methodology was applied. Data were analysed by following the Qmulti protocol. The results suggested that overall participants preferred IOs that (i) vibrate, (ii) have rough surface texture, and (iii) are round. No particular preference emerged about the size of the IOs. When making an aesthetic judgment, participants paid more attention to the behaviour variable of the IOs than the size, contour or surface texture. In addition, three clusters of participants were identified, suggesting that individual differences existed in the aesthetics of IOs. Without proper consideration of potential individual differences, aesthetic scholars may face the risk of having significant effects masked by individual differences. Only by paying attention to this issue can more meaningful findings be generated to contribute to the field of aesthetics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

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10 pages, 251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Questions for the Psychology of the Artful Mind

by Carmelo Calì

Vision 2019, 3(4), 67; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision3040067 - 21 Nov 2019

Viewed by 2428

Abstract

This paper reconstructs the “Arnheim’s puzzle” over the psychology of art. It is argued that the long-established psychological theories of art do not account properly for the observable variability of art, which provide the phenomena of interest whose psychological factors need to be [...] Read more.

This paper reconstructs the “Arnheim’s puzzle” over the psychology of art. It is argued that the long-established psychological theories of art do not account properly for the observable variability of art, which provide the phenomena of interest whose psychological factors need to be discovered. The general purpose principles of such theories, the ensuing selective sample of art phenomena, and assumption of conventional properties of aesthetic experience make the predictions and the findings of the theories unrepresentative of art. From the discussion of examples drawn from contemporary visual arts and the presentation of the debate on the emergence of the cognitive capacities of art in paleoanthropology, a construct is presented on the specificity of the cognitive capacities of art and its anchoring to perception, which solves the puzzle and has implications for research and teaching psychology of art. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

8 pages, 1124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Perceptual and Aesthetic Aspects of the Music-Paintings Congruence

by Katarina Rančić and Slobodan Marković

Vision 2019, 3(4), 65; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision3040065 - 20 Nov 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3590

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of congruence between music and paintings on the aesthetic preference of paintings. Congruence was specified as the similarity in perceived regularity and the complexity of jazz compositions and abstract paintings (the ratings [...] Read more.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of congruence between music and paintings on the aesthetic preference of paintings. Congruence was specified as the similarity in perceived regularity and the complexity of jazz compositions and abstract paintings (the ratings of regularity and complexity in both sets of stimuli were obtained in the pilot study). In the main experiment, 32 participants rated the aesthetic pleasantness of paintings with congruent, incongruent, and no music background. In addition, they rated the music-paintings matching (how well the music goes with the painting). The results show no effect of congruence on aesthetic pleasantness ratings. The effect on the perceived matching was significant; matching is higher in the congruent compared to the incongruent condition. These findings suggest that congruency has a strong effect on the perceptual aspect of the music-paintings compatibility (visuo-auditory similarity) and no effect on the aesthetic aspect (liking). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

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12 pages, 4966 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hughes’s Reverspectives: Radical Uses of Linear Perspective on Non-Coplanar Surfaces

by Thomas V. Papathomas and Patrick Hughes

Vision 2019, 3(4), 63; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vision3040063 - 18 Nov 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6425

Abstract

Two major uses of linear perspective are in planar paintings—the flat canvas is incongruent with the painted 3-D scene—and in forced perspectives, such as theater stages that are concave truncated pyramids, where the physical geometry and the depicted scene are congruent. Patrick Hughes [...] Read more.

Two major uses of linear perspective are in planar paintings—the flat canvas is incongruent with the painted 3-D scene—and in forced perspectives, such as theater stages that are concave truncated pyramids, where the physical geometry and the depicted scene are congruent. Patrick Hughes pioneered a third major art form, the reverse perspective, where the depicted scene opposes the physical geometry. Reverse perspectives comprise solid forms composed of multiple planar surfaces (truncated pyramids and prisms) jutting toward the viewer, thus forming concave spaces between the solids. The solids are painted in reverse perspective: as an example, the left and right trapezoids of a truncated pyramid are painted as rows of houses; the bottom trapezoid is painted as the road between them and the top forms the sky. This elicits the percept of a street receding away, even though it physically juts toward the viewer. Under this illusion, the concave void spaces between the solids are transformed into convex volumes. This depth inversion creates a concomitant motion illusion: when a viewer moves in front of the art piece, the scene appears to move vividly. Two additional contributions by the artist are discussed, in which he combines reverse-perspective parts with forced and planar-perspective parts on the same art piece. The effect is spectacular, creating objects on the same planar surface that move in different directions, thus “breaking” the surface apart, demonstrating the superiority of objects over surfaces. We conclude with a discussion on the value of these art pieces in vision science. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the Triestine 2018 Visual Science of Art Conference)

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