The relationship between aesthetic choices, ratings, and eye-movements

Abstract

A previous study found that looking time is related to aesthetic choices, but not internally determined preferences [1]. The purpose of the current study is to expand on these findings by generalizing them to realistic environmental stimuli. In the choice task coupled with eye-tracking, participants chose the office design that was aesthetically more pleasant. In the preference task, participants rated the aesthetic value of each stimulus. Results showed that looking time predicts choice and aesthetic ratings; however, the magnitude of the latter relationship was small. We also found that rating had a significant main effect, but it didn’t have a significant interaction effect with fixation duration on choice. Further research is necessary to understand the relationship between looking time, choices, and preference in the context of environmental stimuli.