The Automatic Aesthetic Evaluation of Different Art and Architectural Styles

The subject under discussion concerns the existence of an automatic aesthetic evaluation. When we encounter an object like an artwork or an architectural structure that activates an aesthetic response, does the associated evaluation appear in our mind as an automatic process? From the broad field of aesthetic appraisal, we will be considering a specific aspect that refers only to the positive and negative affects related to an individual's preference between two art styles (figurative vs. abstract) and two architectural styles (classic vs. contemporary). The hypothesis is that there is a preexistent preference within the visual arts and architecture that can clearly be identified using implicit measurements. Results from two experiments that were conducted with the use of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) showed that participants' reaction times were faster in associating positive words to figurative art and classical architecture (the so-called compatible task) than to abstract art and contemporary architecture (the so-called incompatible task). The results are in line with the hypothesis that aesthetic preferences can also be experienced automatically. Prototypicality (i.e., the degree to which an object is representative of a general class of object), familiarity and the relative simplicity of figurative art and classical architecture (compared to abstract art and modern architecture) can explain the shorter reaction time and as a consequence, an implicit aesthetic preference for these kinds of stimuli.