Of time and preference: temporal stability of environmental preferences

Area of Science:

• Aesthetics
• Art Psychology
• Built Environment Studies

Background:

• Aesthetic theory, particularly Berlyne's, emphasizes the role of time in art appreciation.
• Understanding temporal stability of preferences is crucial for evaluating architectural impact and public engagement.
• Previous research has not extensively documented long-term preference stability for novel architectural works.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temporal stability of public aesthetic preferences for a novel building over 23 years.
• To examine the temporal stability of public preferences for ordinary buildings over nine years.
• To assess the influence of time on aesthetic judgments in the context of architecture.

Main Methods:

• Survey research involving 5543 respondents assessing preferences at multiple time points.
• Longitudinal study design tracking preferences for a novel building at 2, 18, and 23 years post-construction.
• Cross-sectional analysis of preferences for 20 non-novel buildings at three distinct time intervals over nine years.

Main Results:

• Preferences for the novel and controversial building demonstrated significant temporal stability across 23 years.
• Public preferences for 20 ordinary, noncontroversial buildings remained stable over a nine-year period.
• Initial aesthetic responses to architectural designs appear to be enduring.

Conclusions:

• Aesthetic preferences for buildings, even novel ones, exhibit remarkable long-term stability.
• Findings support the robustness of initial aesthetic judgments and have implications for architectural design and urban planning.
• Further research should explore factors influencing preference stability and potential shifts over extended durations.