The Link Between Outer And Inner Psychophysics In Neuroaesthetics

• Applicant: Dr. Gregor Hayn-Leichsenring
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology ; Human Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience
• Term: from 2017 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 369381733

The aesthetic perception of artworks is largely dependent on cultural norms and previous exposure to art objects (Leder, Belke, Oeberst, & Augustin, 2004). Nevertheless, it has been shown that certain properties of visual objects can be related to positive ratings on beauty in artworks. Therefore, one subfield within aesthetics research focuses on these formal aspects of the stimuli.Gustav Theodor Fechner is considered the founder of aesthetic science. He searched for objective properties that can be associated with perception of beauty (outer psychophysics, Fechner, 1876). He was one of the first scientists to directly measure objective properties of aesthetic stimuli. Along this line, recent studies focus on the investigation of statistical image properties that are considered to be relevant for human visual perception. For some years, Christoph Redies and I have applied digital analyses of statistical image properties. In several studies, we showed a relation of global image properties (spectral Fourier slope, anisotropy, self-similarity and complexity) with subjective ratings on beauty (e.g., Redies, Hasenstein, Denzler, 2007; Mallon, Redies, & Hayn-Leichsenring, 2014).In another approach, neuroscientists like Anjan Chatterjee have made highly interesting progress in connecting subjective beauty ratings with neurophysiological activities (inner psychophysics). It has been shown that aesthetic experiences are generally processed within brain areas that are usually associated with other tasks. On the one hand, depending on the type of aesthetic stimulus, domain-specific neuronal activities can be found in parts of the sensorimotor system, while on the other hand, the exposure to different beautiful stimuli leads to similar activation patterns within the emotion-valuation-system (Pegors, Kable, Chatterjee, & Epstein, 2014; Chatterjee & Vartanian, 2014).In the proposed project, Anjan Chatterjee and I are planning to investigate whether established global image properties correlate with neurophysiological activities. To this aim, we are planning three fMRI studies with different types of stimuli. We will relate the neuronal responses to landscape paintings, art portraits and abstract art paintings with their statitsical image properties. Special focus will be laid on specific areas of the sensorimotor system and the emotion-valuation-system. Therefore, the aim of the current proposal is to establish a link between outer and inner psychophysics.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Dr. Anjan Chatterjee