City Research Online

Abstract

While art, nature, and social interactions are key elements of a healthy culture and lifestyle, how nature and social factors in paintings impact the viewer experience still remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how the number of depicted people, the presence of interpersonal touch, and the setting (indoor vs. outdoor) affect art preference. A total of 420 paintings were rated (online survey) on their liking across 300 participants. Across participants, paintings without people were significantly liked over paintings with people, which was especially prominent in depictions of outdoor settings. Furthermore, while people liked paintings without touch, this was only the case for paintings of outdoor depictions. The study also explored how these preferences were modulated by individual differences. The findings underscore the relevance and importance of social aspects in art and how this interacts with the viewer's individuality.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Publisher Keywords:	empirical aesthetics, social content in art, individual differences in art appreciation, painting preference, nature
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General) H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) N Fine Arts
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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