title: Preference for Curvature: A Historical and Conceptual Framework.
abstract: That people find curved contours and lines more pleasurable than straight ones is a recurrent observation in the aesthetic literature. Although such observation has been tested sporadically throughout the history of scientific psychology, only during the last decade has it been the object of systematic research. Recent studies lend support to the idea that human preference for curved contours is biologically determined. However, it has also been argued that this preference is a cultural phenomenon. In this article, we review the available evidence, together with different attempts to explain the nature of preference for curvature: sensoriomotor-based and valuation-based approaches. We also argue that the lack of a unifying framework and clearly defined concepts might be undermining our efforts towards a better understanding of the nature of preference for curvature. Finally, we point to a series of unresolved matters as the starting point to further develop a consistent research program.
authors.affiliation: Human Evolution and Cognition Group, IFISC, University of the Balearic Islands-CSIC Palma, Spain.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gómez-Puerto
authors.affiliation: Human Evolution and Cognition Group, IFISC, University of the Balearic Islands-CSIC Palma, Spain.
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Munar
authors.affiliation: Human Evolution and Cognition Group, IFISC, University of the Balearic Islands-CSICPalma, Spain; Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, University of ViennaVienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadal
keywords: angularity; curvature; empirical aesthetics; evolutionary aesthetics; preference