Aphantasia affects liking more than beauty judgments in visual evaluation of tactile aesthetics of textures

Authors

Torres, J., Faucheu, J., Witt, A.

Year

In press

Title

Aphantasia affects liking more than beauty judgments in visual evaluation of tactile aesthetics of textures

Journal / book / conference

Topics in Cognitive Psychology

Abstract

Touch provides crucial information about the physical world, including hedonic aspects. In certain contexts, such as online shopping, the absence of tactile sensation renders the multisensory experience incomplete, though mental imagery may compensate for this absence. However, 2 to 4% of the population is affected by aphantasia, a condition characterized by reduced or absent mental imagery. This study examined the impact of aphantasia on the tactile aesthetic of textures presented visually. An aphantasic group (N=22) and a control group (N=22) evaluated the tactile aesthetics of textures presented visually in terms of liking and beauty, and completed questionnaires (VVIQ, Psi-Q, NFT, BFI). Results showed that aphantasia affects all sensory dimensions, reducing openness to experience and leading to lower aesthetic judgments. Our findings confirm that aphantasia impacts aesthetic judgments when the multisensory experience is incomplete.

‹ Back

LEAD