title: Perceived beauty of random texture patterns: A preference for complexity.
abstract: We report two experiments on the perceived aesthetic quality of random density texture patterns. In each experiment a square grid was filled with a progressively larger number of elements. Grid size in Experiment 1 was 10×10 with elements added to create a variety of textures ranging from 10%-100% fill levels. Participants rated the beauty of the patterns. Average judgments across all observers showed an inverted U-shaped function that peaked near middle densities. In Experiment 2 grid size was increased to 15×15 to see if observers preferred patterns with a fixed density or a fixed number of elements. The results of the second experiment were nearly identical to that of the first showing a preference for density over fixed element number. Ratings in both studies correlated positively with a GIF compression metric of complexity and with edge length. Within the range of stimuli used, observers judge more complex patterns to be more beautiful.
authors.affiliation: Manhattan College, USA.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Friedenberg
authors.affiliation: Manhattan College, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liby
mesh_terms: D001504:Beauty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aesthetics; Complexity; Density; Perceived beauty; Random patterns; Texture