What Causes the Dependency between Perceived Aesthetics and Perceived Usability?

Several studies reported a dependency between perceived beauty and perceived usability of a user interface. But it is still not fully clear which psychological mechanism is responsible for this dependency. We suggest a new explanation based on the concept of visual clarity. This concept describes the perception of order, alignment and visual complexity. A high visual clarity supports a fast orientation on an interface and creates an impression of simplicity. Thus, visual clarity will impact usability dimensions, like efficiency and learnability. Visual clarity is also related to classical aesthetics and the fluency effect, thus an impact on the perception of aesthetics is plausible. We present two large studies that show a strong mediator effect of visual clarity on the dependency between perceived aesthetics and perceived usability. These results support the proposed explanation. In addition, we show how visual clarity of a user interface can be evaluated by a new scale embedded in the UEQ+ framework. Construction and first evaluation results of this new scale are described

Cognitive penetration of early vision in face perception

Cognitive and affective penetration of perception refers to the influence that higher mental states such as beliefs and emotions have on perceptual systems. Psychological and neuroscientific studies appear to show that these states modulate the visual system at the visuomotor, attentional, and late levels of processing. However, empirical evidence showing that similar consequences occur in early stages of visual processing seems to be scarce. In this paper, I argue that psychological evidence does not seem to be either sufficient or necessary to argue in favour of or against the cognitive penetration of perception in either late or early vision. In order to do that we need to have recourse to brain imaging techniques. Thus, I introduce a neuroscientific study and argue that it seems to provide well-grounded evidence for the cognitive penetration of early vision in face perception. I also examine and reject alternative explanations to my conclusion

The Specifics of Creating Emotional Comfort by Means of Modern Design

Modern man is cut off from the natural conditions. He is experiencing emotional hunger associated with a limited number of visual impressions. In the light of this videoecology's requirements are relevant, and they calling attention of designers, philosophers and psychologists to the formation and creation of visually comfortable environment. Relevance of the work is due to the need of theoretical and practical studies of design objects’ perception features that providing maximal emotional comfort. Purpose of the work is to study features of creating objects that form a positive emotional response. In this paper we applied the methods of cultural and historical analysis, comparative methods and methods of semiotic systems’ analysis and modelling. Due to the fact that the greatest emotional comfort provided by high aesthetic level of design objects in the work are discussed features of art design, aimed at the creation of objects in which artistic and aesthetic principles dominates over utilitarian and pragmatic principles. During research of object's shape perception in the design was revealed the mechanism of emotional response formation. It was associated with semantic capacity of design object and specificity of its visual organization. The ability to create emotional space is determined by quality of shape which generating particular psychological reaction in form of emotions. On the base of visual perception researches was proposed model of visual images’ perception, which comprises the steps of recognizing, comparing, and dialogue. The result of this study is scientifically based recommendations, which takes into account specifics of visual perception and aimed at the achievement of emotional comfort by means of design

Is Interior Wood use Psychologically Beneficial? A Review of Psychological Responses Toward Wood

Over the past decades, a number of empirical studies have documented that nature or elements of nature in both outdoor and indoor settings can be beneficial for human health and well-being. Wood is a natural product and it is therefore relevant to investigate whether interior wood use might have some of the same beneficial effects. The aim of the present study is therefore to investigate whether interior wood use might be psychologically beneficial by reviewing studies that have investigated psychological responses toward wood. The study also provides a general introduction to theories that can help explain why wood might be psychologically beneficial. Studies related to psychological responses toward interior wood use have generally focused on three different outcomes: 1) perception of wood, including both visual perception and tactile sensation; 2) attitudes and preferences (aesthetic evaluation) of various wood products; and 3) psychophysiological responses toward wood. The review posits that there seem to be similarities in preferences for wood and that people prefer wood because it is natural. In addition, affective responses toward wood seem to be measurable, giving indications of psychological beneficial effects. However, caution should be made in concluding from the review that interior wood use is psychologically beneficial. Thus, theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed and research needs identified

Acceleration patterns in the perception of biological motion

A lot of natural stimuli are characterized by acceleration patterns. However, available studies are inconclusive about the importance of these patterns on visual perception. Empirical findings seems to both sustain that acceleration patterns might have, or might have not, a significant role on visual perception [Runeson, 1974 Psychological Research 37 3-23; McIntyre et al, 2001 Nature Neuroscience 4(7) 693-694]. In a recent study Chang and Troje [2009 Journal of Vision 9(1) 19-17] stressed the role of acceleration patterns for the perception of biological motion. Nevertheless, we have a limited understanding about the implications of these patterns for translational stimuli. The present study aimed to investigate how acceleration patterns influence the perception of biological translational motion. We manipulated the velocity of the translational component (maintaining spatial characteristics). This allowed us to create a continuum of stimuli that ranged from natural motion to constant velocity. When two stimuli are presented simultaneously participants are asked to choose which appears more natural. Data shows that subjects choose the stimulus closest to the natural motion—biological motion. Results reveal a great accuracy in detecting the stimulus closest to biological motion, which suggests that acceleration patterns are important in the perception of translational biological motion.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Sex Differences and Reliabilities on Two Tests of Distance Judgment

There are relatively few studies on distance judgment cited in the psychological literature. Allgaier (1) developed a test of depth perception involving movable pegs. He found that color and size of the pegs had little effect on judgments. However, induced visual defects and astigmatism materially decrease the ability to judge distance. Visual acuity seems to be the only factor reported which is significantly correlated with distance judgment

Unseen Affective Faces Influence Person Perception Judgments in Schizophrenia.

To demonstrate the influence of unconscious affective processing on consciously processed information among people with and without schizophrenia, we used a continuous flash suppression (CFS) paradigm to examine whether early and rapid processing of affective information influences first impressions of structurally neutral faces. People with and without schizophrenia rated visible neutral faces as more or less trustworthy, warm, and competent when paired with unseen smiling or scowling faces compared to when paired with unseen neutral faces. Yet, people with schizophrenia also exhibited a deficit in explicit affect perception. These findings indicate that early processing of affective information is intact in schizophrenia but the integration of this information with semantic contexts is problematic. Furthermore, people with schizophrenia who were more influenced by smiling faces presented outside awareness reported experiencing more anticipatory pleasure, suggesting that the ability to rapidly process affective information is important for anticipation of future pleasurable events

"Consciousness". Selected Bibliography 1970 - 2001

This is a bibliography of books and articles on consciousness in philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience over the last 30 years. There are three main sections, devoted to monographs, edited collections of papers, and articles. The first two of these sections are each divided into three subsections containing books in each of the main areas of research. The third section is divided into 12 subsections, with 10 subject headings for philosophical articles along with two additional subsections for articles in cognitive science and neuroscience. Of course the division is somewhat arbitrary, but I hope that it makes the bibliography easier to use. This bibliography has first been compiled by Thomas Metzinger and David Chalmers to appear in print in two philosophical anthologies on conscious experience (Metzinger 1995a, b). From 1995 onwards it has been continuously updated by Thomas Metzinger, and now is freely available as a PDF-, RTF-, or HTML-file. This bibliography mainly attempts to cover the Anglo-Saxon and German debates, in a non-annotated, fully formatted way that makes it easy to "cut and paste" from the original file. To a certain degree this bibliography also contains items in other languages than English and German - all submissions in other languages are welcome. Last update of current version: July 13th, 2001

Seeing Seeing

I argue that we can visually perceive others as seeing agents. I start by characterizing perceptual processes as those that are causally controlled by proximal stimuli. I then distinguish between various forms of visual perspective-taking, before presenting evidence that most of them come in perceptual varieties. In doing so, I clarify and defend the view that some forms of visual perspective-taking are “automatic”—a view that has been marshalled in support of dual-process accounts of mindreading