Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
Published on: April 11, 2025
A blessing, not a curse: experimental evidence for beneficial effects of visual aesthetics on performance
Morten Moshagen1, Jochen Musch, Anja S Göritz
1Institute for Experimental Psychology, University of Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. morten.moshagen@uni-duesseldorf.de
Abstract:
The present experiment investigated the effect of visual aesthetics on performance. A total of 257 volunteers completed a series of search tasks on a website providing health-related information. Four versions of the website were created by manipulating visual aesthetics (high vs. low) and usability (good vs. poor) in a 2 x 2 between-subjects design. Task completion times and error rates were used as performance measures. A main effect of usability on both error rates and completion time was observed. Additionally, a significant interaction of visual aesthetics and usability revealed that high aesthetics enhanced performance under conditions of poor usability. Thus, in contrast to the notion that visual aesthetics may worsen performance, visual aesthetics even compensated for poor usability by speeding up task completion. The practical and theoretical implications of this finding are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
The Influence of Affect on Cognition
Factors Influencing Attraction II: Physical Attraction
Accessory Structures of the Eye
Halo Effect
Social Facilitation
Factors Affecting Perception
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...

