How to account for the power that art holds over us? Why do artworks touch us deeply,
consoling, transforming or invigorating us in the process? In this paper, we argue that an …

Which stimulus and person characteristics determine aesthetic appreciation? For many
centuries, philosophers and scientists have been trying to solve this complex puzzle …

This work shows the preliminary results of a pioneering project aimed at comparing the
aesthetic experience of a musical concert experienced in different contexts for which the …

Empirical aesthetics and neuroaesthetics study two main issues: the valuation of sensory
objects and art experience. These two issues are often treated as if they were intrinsically …

Menninghaus and colleagues (2019) have recently argued that aesthetic emotions
constitute a distinct class of emotions. They claim that aesthetic emotions are distinct …

Aesthetic emotions are defined as emotions arising when a person evaluates a stimulus for
its aesthetic appeal. Whether these emotions are unique to aesthetic activities is debated …

Most people like symmetry, and symmetry has been extensively used in visual art and
architecture. In this study, we compared preference for images of abstract and familiar …

Affective pictures are widely used in studies of human emotions. The objects or scenes
shown in affective pictures play a pivotal role in eliciting particular emotions. However …

Aesthetic experience, characterized by distinctive features, and to occur when people
engage with sensory objects with a specific attitude. However, contemporary research …

In perception, humans typically prefer symmetrical over asymmetrical patterns. Yet, little is
known about differences in symmetry preferences depending on individuals' different past …