Jinwoo Lee
Jinwoo Yi
Jinwoo Yi
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My first paper, “The twofold role of subjective fluency in displeasing but preferable visual artworks: self-report and eye-tracking analysis” in collaboration with aesthetics researchers from my undergraduate days, is finally published!
We tackled the “paradox of horror,” a philosophical question since 17C, using cogsci. Most people hate unpleasant art, but some love it. Why? We tested how art knowledge shapes this difference. Cogsci has claimed that fluency amplifies the valence effect on preference, while art appreciation models argue that art knowledge (expected to shape fluency) reduces its impact. We were motivated to revolve these conflicting findings.
Our Bayesian analysis revealed two roles of fluency on preference: a) it directly enhances preference regardless of valence, and b) consistent with predictions from empirical aesthetics, it diminishes the impact of valence on preference.
But how exactly does fluency reduce the valence effect? To tackle this, we further analyzed beholders' gazing patterns. By combining a computer vision model with art-historical knowledge, we disentangled between affect-charged and appreciation-core areas within the painting. Eye-tracking analysis identified fluency-driven controlled attention. High-fluency group paid attention to both eye-grabbing and peripheral but informative areas essential for appreciation, while low-fluency one just focused on the affectively salient ones.
From this, we concluded that subjective fluency reallocates attention to both the unpleasant, affect-inducing areas and the meaning-laden areas of the artwork, thus diluting the negative affect’s influence on preference. Why, then, does fluency amplify the effect of valence in everyday object evaluation but reduce it in art appreciation? We discuss how aesthetic dimensions of art viewing, such as self-distancing or disinterestedness, may account for this striking contrast.
Publishing my first paper has been a rewarding experience, especially in engaging with philosophers to explore how empirical methods can tackle philosophical questions. Special thanks to Dr. Mijung Kang from SNU Aesthetics for her invaluable support in this collaboration!
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