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Perceived cognitive challenge predicts eye movements while viewing contemporary paintings
Joanna Ganczarek1, Karolina Pietras1, Roman Rosiek2
1Institute of Psychology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Kraków, Poland.
Psych Journal
|May 29, 2020
Summary
Cognitive challenge in contemporary art viewing, not expertise or rule violations, drives eye movements. Subjective perception of complexity and ambiguity increases visual exploration, impacting how viewers engage with art.
Area of Science:
- Art perception
- Cognitive psychology
- Neuroaesthetics
Background:
- Contemporary art often presents challenges due to rule violations and limited viewer knowledge.
- Understanding viewer engagement with complex artworks is crucial for art interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how cognitive challenge influences eye movements during contemporary art perception.
- To differentiate the impact of object-related (image properties) and subject-related (perceived complexity) cognitive challenges on visual exploration.
Main Methods:
- Recorded eye movements of art experts and naive participants viewing contemporary paintings.
- Manipulated paintings based on semantic and syntactic violations (object-related challenge).
- Assessed subjective cognitive challenge (inconsistency, ambiguity, complexity).
Main Results:
- Neither art expertise nor objective image violations alone predicted eye movements.
- Perceived, subjectively experienced cognitive challenge significantly impacted visual exploration.
- Subject-related cognitive challenge correlated with increased visual exploration, including longer fixations and viewing times.
Conclusions:
- Subjective cognitive challenge, rather than objective properties or expertise, is a key factor in how viewers explore contemporary art.
- The findings highlight the importance of the viewer's internal processing in art reception.
- Future research can explore interventions to enhance art accessibility based on cognitive engagement.
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