What have fractals got to do with it? individual differences in aesthetic responses



Street, Nichola
What have fractals got to do with it? individual differences in aesthetic responses. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

This project examines the application of fractal geometry to understanding aesthetic response to the visual environment. Fractals have been established as contributing to positive experiences both in response to art and nature, including aesthetic judgment. Taylor et al (2011) established that preferences for fractal patterns appear to consistently fall within the mid-range of fractal dimension (D1.3-1.5) others have found that preference for fractal complexity is linear (Forsythe et al., 2011). Here aesthetic responses to fractal patterns are tested in cross-cultural and sub-cultural settings with the aim of validating claims that mid-range fractal dimension a predictor of positive aesthetic response. This thesis has three overarching aims; the first to validate the mid-range hypothesis proposed by Taylor et al (2011) compared with other linear models of fractal preference, secondly to determine the relationship between visual complexity and fractal dimension, and finally a series of studies will explore the impact of individual difference on our aesthetic relationship with fractal patterns, these included Culture, Environmental Classification, Gender and Age. The 6 studies within this thesis demonstrate the progression of the research journey to arrive at the final conclusions of this thesis. Studies confirms the hypothesised relationship between fractal dimension and visual complexity, the fractal stimulus and GIF compression complexity scores as significantly correlated (r=-0.92, p

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information: Date: 2015-08 (completed)
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 15 Dec 2015 10:33
Last Modified: 17 Dec 2022 01:38
DOI: 10.17638/02038132
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2038132