Curve Appeal: Exploring Individual Differences in Preference for Curved Versus Angular Objects

Cotter, Katherine and Silvia, Paul and Bertamini, Marco and Palumbo, Letizia and Vartanian, Oshin (2017) Curve Appeal: Exploring Individual Differences in Preference for Curved Versus Angular Objects. i-perception, 8 (2). ISSN 2041-6695

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Abstract

A preference for smooth curvature, as opposed to angularity, is a well-established finding for lines, 2D shapes, and complex objects, but little is known about individual differences. We used 2D black-and-white shapes—randomly-generated irregular polygons, and arrays of circles and hexagons—and measured many individual differences, including artistic expertise, personality, and cognitive style. As expected, people preferred curved over angular stimuli, and people’s degree of curvature preference correlated across the two sets of shapes. Multilevel models showed varying patterns of interaction between shape and individual differences. For the irregular polygons, people higher in artistic expertise or openness to experience showed a greater preference for curvature. This pattern was not evident for the arrays of circles and hexagons. We discuss the results in relation to the nature of the stimuli, and we conclude that individual differences do play a role in moderating the preference for smooth curvature.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Human and Digital Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User:	Letizia Palumbo
Date Deposited:	27 Feb 2017 15:41
Last Modified:	29 Jun 2020 13:37
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/1868

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