Dimensions in appreciation of car interior design

Abstract

We report two studies in which the interplay between stimulus properties and perceiver characteristics in the appreciation car interiors was investigated. In Experiment 1 three design components, complexity, curvature and innovativeness, which are all thought to affect design appreciation were combined in a fully factorial design. All dimensions were confirmed to affect ratings, and curvature and innovativeness particularly affected the attractiveness ratings. Curved and non-innovative designs were generally preferred. Moreover, participants who were particularly interested in art were more sensitive to curvature and innovativeness. In Experiment 2 two dimensions of Experiment 1 were replicated using similar stimuli. Moreover, the specific effects of a design knowledge treatment were investigated. Results replicated the preference for curved and non-innovative (rather classic) designs. The treatment had only small effects, which support a general rather than dimension-specific effects of cognitive pre-information.

Impact of contour on aesthetic judgments and approach-avoidance decisions in architecture

“…4). These results are consistent with evidence from previous studies establishing a preference for curved objects ranging from simple lines to furniture and car interiors (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) and the grounding of that preference in affect (16,18), and extend them to the domain of architecture. Neuroanatomically, our results demonstrated that judging the beauty of curvilinear spaces was associated exclusively with an increase in ACC activity over and above judging the beauty of rectilinear spaces (Fig.…”

“…The results have demonstrated consistently that people typically prefer curvilinear to rectilinear objects, be they geometric forms, household objects, furniture, or car interiors (16)(17)(18), and that this effect persists even when controlling for symmetry, prototypicality, and balance (19). Furthermore, much like the earlier studies, contemporary studies have shown that curvature elicits pleasant emotions (16,18). This finding is important because it suggests that the impact of contour on judgment in the form of greater preference for curvilinear objects might be driven by an affective response to curvature.…”

“…Because previous behavioral studies have demonstrated that curvature elicits pleasant emotions (16,18), we hypothesized that compared with viewing rectilinear spaces, viewing curvilinear spaces would activate structures coextensive with the brain's reward and emotions networks, with specific interest in the regions highlighted in Brown et al's meta-analysis of aesthetic appraisal. In turn, we hypothesized that the reverse contrast (i.e., rectilinear-curvilinear) would activate the amygdala.…”

The line model of form and emotion: Perspectives on Western design

“…Both studies showed participants had a higher preference for curved objects and patterns as opposed to the angular variations. Additional work relating expressly to industrial design has noted a trend in recent automotive interior design toward curved structures and away from the angularity so extensively seen in the 1980s and '90s (Leder & Carbon, 2005).…”

Design evaluation by combination of repeated evaluation technique and measurement of electrodermal activity

“…Here we show, by the measurement of electrodermal activity (EDA), the need for dynamic testing, realized by the repeated evaluation technique (RET; Carbon and Leder 2005). With such a dynamic test setting we can obtain critical information about ecologically valid preferences, and, therefore, predict liking of future products (Carbon and Leder 2007).…”