Investigation of Berlyne's theory of aesthetics and psychobiology

Abstract

Berlyne has extended his general theory of exploratory behaviour to include visual-aesthetic stimuli. Exploratory behaviour, including both specific and epistemic exploration, occurs when an individual is confronted with stimuli that produce conflict and a rise in arousal. The collative properties of stimulus material appear to have: a direct influence on arousal and exploratory behaviour. Such behaviour serves to supply the required information and increase the individual' knowledge of his stimulus field. Epistemic behaviour includes epistemic observation, consultation and directed thinking. Berlyne has also suggested that when curiosity is minimal or non-existent, diversive exploration comes to the fore and is directed toward stimu1i possessing appealing collative variables.x000D The purpose of this thesis is to observe the effects of the complexity of paintings on measure of specific and epistemic exploration and ratings of attractiveness. The subjects were ninety student nurses enrolled either at the University of Calgary or at the Calgary General Hospital. x000D Three groups of five paintings each formed the levels simple, medium and complex based on ratings of complexity obtained from thirty subjects. It was found that looking time increased significantly with rated complexity. Total number of questions were found to be greatest at the complex level but did not differ significantly between the simple and intermediate levels. When questions were divided on the basis of yes-no questions and specific interrogations, similar result was obtained for the latter type of question as for total number of questions. Yes-no questions did not vary over the three levels of complexity. x000D An inverted U-shaped relationship was found between ratings of pleasingness and preference, and complexity. Rated interest increased over the first two levels of complexity, but exhibited some negative acceleration between the medium and complex levels. x000D After each subject had completed her required task and was therefore relatively familiar with the paintings, she was asked to indicate which painting she would most prefer to spend more time viewing and the one she would least like to view again. The majority of subjects chose paintings of medium complexity for further viewing while least often rejecting them, but simple paintings were least preferred and most often rejected. x000D The results tended to support Berlyne's hypothesis that complexity influences specific and epistemic activity as well as ratings of interest and attractiveness. Diversive exploration appeared to relate more to paintings rated highly attractive and moderately complex and interesting. It was concluded that this study demonstrates the relevance of Berlyne’s theory of Aesthetics and Psychobiology in this investigr1tion of visual-aesthetic stimuli.