Visual cortex activation predicts visual preference: Evidence from Britain and Egypt

The term 'Perceptual goodness' refers to the strength, obviousness or salience of a visual configuration. Recent work has found strong agreement between theoretical, neural and behavioural measures of perceptual goodness across a wide range of different symmetrical visual patterns (Makin et al. 2016). We used these pattern types again to explore the relationship between perceptual goodness and aesthetic preference. A group of 50 UK participants rated the patterns on a 0-100 scale. Preference ratings positively correlated with four overlapping measures of perceptual goodness. We then replicated this finding in Egypt, suggesting that our results reflect universal aspects of human preference. The third experiment provided consistent results with a different stimulus set. We conclude that symmetry is an aesthetic primitive that is attractive because of the way it is processed by the visual system

Mirror Symmetry is Subject to Crowding Across the Visual Field

Bilateral mirror symmetry is often thought to be particularly salient to human observers. It has been hypothesized that symmetry engages specialized mechanisms that evolved to sense symmetrical objects in nature. However, although symmetry is a commonly encountered stimulus property, studies have shown that sensitivity to mirror symmetry does not serve an alerting function when embedded in noise (Gurnsey et al., Can Soc Brain Behav Cog Sci, 1998b). Further, sensitivity to symmetry decreases similarly to other common stimuli when targets are presented away from the centre of the visual field (for review: Wagemans, Spat Vis, 1995). The three experiments presented in this thesis show that symmetrical targets are vulnerable to the same interference as other stimuli when surrounded by non-target elements. The data shares many of the common characteristics attributable to the crowding phenomenon in current and historical literature (for review: Whitney & Levi, Trends Cog Sci, 2011). Namely, we find little or no effect of crowding at fixation. The magnitude of the crowding effect increased nonlinearly with eccentricity and at a greater rate than the linear increase of resolution loss (e.g., Gurnsey et al., JoV, 2011; Latham & Whitaker, Ophthalmic Physiol Opt, 1996). In this case, standard double linear size scaling procedures were unable to characterize the data across the visual field and produced untenable results that violate assumptions of the crowding phenomenon. Taken together, the results provide evidence that symmetry is unlikely to be processed in parallel fashion by low-level mechanisms

A tangible programming environment model informed by principles of perception and meaning

It is a fundamental Human-Computer Interaction problem to design a tangible programming environment for use by multiple persons that can also be individualised. This problem has its origin in the phenomenon that the meaning an object holds can vary across individuals. The Semiotics Research Domain studies the meaning objects hold. This research investigated a solution based on the user designing aspects of the environment at a time after it has been made operational and when the development team is no longer available to implement the user’s design requirements. Also considered is how objects can be positioned so that the collection of objects is interpreted as a program. I therefore explored how some of the principles of relative positioning of objects, as researched in the domains of Psychology and Art, could be applied to tangible programming environments. This study applied the Gestalt principle of perceptual grouping by proximity to the design of tangible programming environments to determine if a tangible programming environment is possible in which the relative positions of personally meaningful objects define the program. I did this by applying the Design Science Research methodology with five iterations and evaluations involving children. The outcome is a model of a Tangible Programming Environment that includes Gestalt principles and Semiotic theory; Semiotic theory explains that the user can choose a physical representation of the program element that carries personal meaning whereas the Gestalt principle of grouping by proximity predicts that objects can be arranged to appear as if linked to each other.School of ComputingPh. D. (Computer Science

The influence of perception on the distribution of multiple symmetries in nature and art

Contains fulltext : 99809.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Much is already known about single mirror symmetry, but multiple mirror symmetry is still understood poorly. In particular, perceptually, multiple symmetry does not seem to behave as suggested by the number of symmetry axes alone. Here, theoretical ideas on single symmetry perception and their extensions to multiple symmetry are discussed alongside empirical findings on multiple symmetry perception. The evidence suggests that, apart from the number of axes, also their relative orientation is perceptually relevant. This, in turn, suggests that perception is responsible for the preponderance of 3-fold and 5-fold symmetries in flowers as well as for their absence in decorative art.18 p

How processing of visual symmetry relates to preference for regular patterns, and the role of attention on preference formation

The process of preference formation is influenced by many factors. These include intrinsic stimulus attributes as well as contextual factors, which are not directly related with the stimulus itself. In this PhD thesis I present seven studies that give significant new insights about how human preference is affected by intrinsic stimulus properties, as well as contextual factors. The common denominator is the use of abstract shapes forming regular patterns (reflectional symmetry). The presence of symmetry within the stimuli predicts preference, and there is behavioural evidence of an association between symmetry and positive valence. The first study shows the neural basis of this association (Part 1, Chapter 2). The thesis proceeds with four studies (Part 2, Chapters 3 – 6) exploring the role of (exogenous) attention on preference evaluation of abstract shapes that already contain intrinsic valence (symmetry/random). Previous research has demonstrated that attention plays a major role on preference formation. These studies showed that exogenous orienting of attention led to more positive evaluation of stimuli at cued locations, although this effect was sensitive to endogenous control. In the last part (Part 3), Chapter 7 explored preference devaluation of abstract symmetry with increasing visual eccentricity, as a potential consequence of reduced perceived regularity at farther locations. Random shapes, which do not lend themselves to coherent interpretation at fovea, were similarly evaluated at all eccentricities. Chapter 8 did not focus on preference. With a novel design, it explored how symmetry detection speed in the periphery was affected by the way attention was deployed in visual space. Overall these findings confirm the role of symmetry in aesthetic appreciation of abstract shapes. Importantly, they highlight a role of attention orienting and gazing in preference modulation. Defining what factors determine preference is key to understanding human behaviour and decisions. This thesis provides a significant contribution towards this goal