Abstract
Whereas ambiguity in everyday life is often negatively evaluated, it is considered key in art appreciation. In a facial EMG study, we tested whether the positive role of visual ambiguity in paintings is reflected in a continuous affective evaluation on a subtle level. We presented ambiguous (disfluent) and non-ambiguous (fluent) versions of Magritte paintings and found that M. Zygomaticus major activation was higher and M. corrugator supercilii activation was lower for ambiguous than for non-ambiguous versions. Our findings reflect a positive continuous affective evaluation to visual ambiguity in paintings over the 5 s presentation time. We claim that this finding is indirect evidence for the hypothesis that visual stimuli classified as art, evoke a safe state for indulging into experiencing ambiguity, challenging the notion that processing fluency is generally related to positive affect.
Originalsprache | Englisch |
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Aufsatznummer | 785 |
Seitenumfang | 7 |
Fachzeitschrift | Frontiers in Psychology |
Jahrgang | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - 16 Mai 2017 |
ÖFOS 2012
- 501001 Allgemeine Psychologie
- 501011 Kognitionspsychologie