A recent study published in the Journal of Vision has found that both infants and adults have a preference for the vibrant color palettes found in Vincent van Gogh’s paintings.
The study involved infants between the ages of 18 and 40 weeks and adults between the ages of 18 and 43 years. Participants were given iPads with a selection of 10 van Gogh landscapes among 40 images. The paintings were presented in pairs, allowing for 45 possible combinations for each participant.
During the study, infants were shown the painting pairs for five seconds each. Researchers observed the infants’ visual preferences by analyzing which image they looked at for a longer duration. Meanwhile, adults received the same test and visual pairings but were asked to select the image they found most pleasant. The data from 25 adults was then used to score each artwork on its average pleasantness, and this data was compared with the average looking time of 25 infants.
The findings revealed that infants tended to look longer at paintings that adults also rated more highly for pleasantness. One painting, van Gogh’s “Green Corn Stalks,” achieved the highest shared preference among both infants and adults.
The study also suggested that infants were more drawn to paintings with greater variation in brightness and colors, which aligns with their developing visual perception. High-contrast paintings are likely easier for infants to see as their vision continues to develop.
However, the research also identified differences between the preferences of infants and adults. For example, infants showed a preference for paintings with stretches of sky, while adults leaned towards the unexpected in their selections. Additionally, infants appeared to be more intrigued by images with curves and edges, while adults did not give them higher ratings.
The study’s authors acknowledged that additional brain studies would be necessary to further explore whether infants derived more pleasure from the paintings they gazed at for longer periods. Nonetheless, the results suggest a connection between infantile sensory bias and adults’ aesthetic judgment.
Philip McAdams, the first author of the study from the University of Sussex, highlighted that adults may be influenced by experiential associations that contribute to their choices, which differs from infants who respond more to visual features in a “bottom-up” manner due to their limited experiences in the world.
Understanding the visual preferences of infants and how they evolve into adulthood can provide valuable insights into the development of aesthetic judgment and the impact of life experiences on individual preferences. The study contributes to the growing body of research exploring the relationship between art, perception, and human cognition.