When and how visual aesthetic features influence approach–avoidance motivated behavior.
For decades, researchers have explored the relationship between aesthetic features such as symmetry and complexity and preference. Likewise, philosophers and psychologists alike have pondered the differences between preference and behavior. Nevertheless, little is known about the relationship betwee...
| Published in: | Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Vol. 79; no. 3; pp. 589 - 612 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications Inc.
Mar2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=191516148&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 191516148 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 17470218 1US5 jtl: Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology issn: 17470218 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Mar2026 vid: 79 iid: 3 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. artinfo: ui: 191516148 10.1177/17470218251371660 ppf: 589 ppct: 23 formats: tig: atl: When and how visual aesthetic features influence approach–avoidance motivated behavior. aug: au: Pombo, Maria Corradi, Guido Elliot, Andrew J Velasco, Carlos affil: Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain BEATLES Research Group, University of Balearic, Islands, Spain Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA Centre for Multisensory Marketing, Department of Marketing, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway su: Aesthetics Motivation (Psychology) Marketing Symmetry Approach behavior Reaction time sug: subj: Aesthetics Motivation (Psychology) Marketing Marketing Consulting Services Symmetry Approach behavior Reaction time keyword: approach avoidance complexity motivation symmetry approach avoidance complexity motivation symmetry ab: For decades, researchers have explored the relationship between aesthetic features such as symmetry and complexity and preference. Likewise, philosophers and psychologists alike have pondered the differences between preference and behavior. Nevertheless, little is known about the relationship between aesthetic preference and motivation. Using an online approach–avoidance motivation task, we compare the reaction times between congruent (aesthetic preference + approach) and incongruent (aesthetic preference + avoidance) conditions. In Experiment 1, we explore the relationship between symmetry and complexity and approach–avoidance motivated behavior. In Experiment 2, we distinguish the mechanisms in play in the relationship by manipulating presentation and decision-making time. In Experiment 3, we assess the generalizability of the results beyond abstract graphical patterns. Overall, our research advances knowledge of the relationship between aesthetic preferences for features like symmetry and complexity and approach–avoidance motivation, and it has implications for fields such as marketing. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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