Question 8- Discuss The Role Of Representational Fit In Aesthetic Preference

Question 1

What is representational fit?

Answer 1

-The idea that a picture is aesthetically pleasing to the extent that it transparently reflects/fits the intended or inferred meaning of the picture
•such that the picture portrays what it’s meant to

-Research suggests it’s quite a powerful determinant with regards to aesthetic preference

Question 2

Gardner and Palmer (2010)

Answer 2

-Found people prefer compositions that are non-standard, novel and violate expectations as long as there is meaning and coherent context that justifies the unexpected composition
•No meaningful context = people will prefer standard compositions that make sense

Question 3

Sammartino and Palmer (2012)

Answer 3

-Through 4 experiments found that titles have an impact on aesthetic preference with regards to representational fit
•Aesthetic preference increased when the representational fit between the images and the title was appropriate and made semantic and contextual sense

Question 4

Representational fit > processing fluency

Answer 4

-In experiment 2 of Sammartino and Palmer (2012)
•PPs shown identical pictures just with different titles and there was a preference in one picture over another
•If processing fluency was more influential, there would be expected to be no difference in preference
~Suggests semantics and context is important with regards to what object one is viewing