How We Appreciate Geometric Shapes
Author Information
Author(s): Georgiana Juravle, Charles Spence
Primary Institution: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, Romania
Hypothesis
The study investigates how naturalness, familiarity, and semantic meaning influence the appreciation of geometric shapes.
Conclusion
Participants rated geometric shapes with ice-like textures similarly in terms of liking and hardness, with Platonic solids and spheres being appreciated for their beauty.
Supporting Evidence
- Participants rated the naturalistic shape significantly less liked than the cube, octahedron, icosahedron, and sphere.
- The dodecahedron was rated as significantly warmer than the naturalistic shape and angular irregular shape.
- Self-reported introversion was significantly related to the appreciation of geometric ice structures.
Takeaway
People like certain shapes, like spheres and Platonic solids, because they remind us of things we find beautiful, like ice.
Methodology
Participants rated various geometric shapes on scales of liking, hardness, temperature, wetness, and texture after viewing them in a rotating format.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from self-reported measures of personality traits and fitness.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on visual perception and did not assess tactile feedback.
Participant Demographics
38 participants (27 females, mean age 31 years, age range 19–52 years).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.002
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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