The Factor of Visual Symmetry Perception in Aesthetic Experience

The article deals with the formation of aesthetic experience in connection with the perception of physical symmetry of objects and their images. An overview of modern works on the psychology of aesthetic perception in the context of the problem of the perception of symmetry is presented. The phenomenon of symmetry preference in visual perception is illustrated by arguments in its favor and data on its situationality. The ecological context of symmetry in animals and plants is touched in connection with the phenomenon of fluctuating asymmetry as an undirected deviation in the symmetry of a two-sided structure normally distributed in the population. Mathematical models of symmetry of forms and their multiscale representation are discussed. The analysis of the study of the Zen stone garden perceptual peculiarities from the position of the medial axes’ model is carried out.On the basis of the provisions of the transcendental psychology of perception, a hypothesis is advanced about the meta-sensory origin of the aesthetic sense, based on the process of interrelation of the internal symmetrical mechanisms of visual perception and the cognitive processes of creating figurative representations. The relation to the principle of symmetry in the context of the transcendental psychology of perception is shown.

1. Artemenkov S.L. Metod eksperimentalnoy proverki gipoteticheskoy modeli obrazovaniy asimmetrichno-dvuyedinykh otnosheniy v protsesse zritelnogo vospriyatiya [Method of experimental verification hypothetical model of forming of bi-united symmetrical relations in visual perception process]. Eksperimentalnaya psikhologiya v Rossii: Traditsii i perspektivy [Experimental Psychology in Russia: Traditions and Perspectives]. Moscow, «Institutpsikhologii RAN». 2010, pp. 205—210.
2. Arakawa A. Japanese History of the Psychology of Fine Arts and Aesthetics // Japanese Psychological Research, 2016, vol. 58, pp. 56—69.
3. Artemenkov S.L. Experimental method for verification of formation of centre-symmetrical relations in human visual perception. Perception. ECVP Abstract Supplement, 2009, vol. 38, pp. 182.
4. Artemenkov S.L. Phenomena of the process of asymmetric visual perception for dilating and contracting size-changing objects in different time limited conditions // Vision Science Society Annual Meeting. Sarasota, USA. Journal of Vision, 2005, vol. 5, no. 8, pp. 727.doi: 10.1167/5.8.727.
5. Bertamini M., Makin A.D.J., Pecchinenda A. Testing Whether and When Abstract Symmetric Patterns Produce Affective Responses. PLoSONE, 2013, vol. 8, no. 7:e68403. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0068403.
6. Bertamini M., Makin A.D.J., Rampone G. Implicit association of symmetry with positive valence, high arousal and simplicity. i-Perception, 2013, vol. 4, pp. 317—327.
7. Blum H. Biological shape and visual science. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 1973, vol. 38, pp. 205—287.
8. Bruce J.W., Giblin P.J., Gibson C.G. Symmetry sets. Proc. Royal Soc. Edinburgh, 1985, vol. 101A, pp. 163—186.
9. Daloso D. The ecological context of bilateral symmetry of organ and organisms. Natural Science, 2014, vol. 6, pp. 184—190.doi: 10.4236/ns.2014.64022.
10. Hamada J., Amano K., Fukuda S.T., Uchiumi C., Fukushi K., van der Helm P.A. A group theoretical model of symmetry cognition. Acta Psychologica, 2016, vol. 171, pp. 128—137. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.10.002.
11. Höfel L., Jacobsen Th. Electrophysiological indices of processing aesthetics: Spontaneous or intentional processes? International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2007, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 20—31.
12. Holmes T., Zanker J. Using an oculomotor signature as an indicator of aesthetic preference. i-Perception, 2012, vol. 3, pp. 426—439. doi:10.1068/i0448aap.
13. Holmes T., Scott H., Zanker J. Evolution of symmetry in fractal tree and moss patterns. Perception, 2016, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 195.
14. Kuijper A., Olsen O.F. The Structure of Shapes: Scale Space aspects of the (pre-) Symmetry Set // Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Scale-Space and PDE Methods in Computer Vision (Scale Space 2005), Hofgeismar, Germany, April 7—9, 2005. Hofgeismar. 2005, pp. 291—302.
15. Kuijper A., Olsen O.F., Giblin P., Nielsen M. Alternative 2D Shape Representations using the Symmetry Set. Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision, 2006, vol. 26, no. 1—2, pp. 127—147.doi: 10.1007/s10851- 006-8372-2.
16. Kuijper A., Pock T., Bredies K., Bischof H. Guest editorial: Scale space and variational methods. Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision, 2015, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 1—2.
17. Lyapin A.A. Yaponskiy sad: otproshlogo do nashikhdney. Pravila stroitelstva. 41/2 [Elektronnyi resurs] [Japanese garden: from the past to our days. Building Regulations]. URL:http://www.psdom.ru/catalog/ yaponskiy-sad-ot-proshlogo-do-nashihdney (Accessed 12.10.2015).
18. Mantegazza C. Lecture Notes on Mean Curvature Flow. Progress in Mathematics. Birkhäuser Basel, 2011, vol. 290. 168 p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-0348-0145-4.
19. McManus I.C. Symmetry and asymmetry in aesthetics and the arts. European Review, 2005, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 157—180.doi: 10.1017/S1062798705000736.
20. Mirakyan A.I. Kontury transtsendentalnoy psikhologii [The contours of transcendental psychology]. Kn. 2. Moscow, «Institut psikhologii RAN». 2004. 384 p.
21. Miura K., Sukemiya H., Yamaguchi E. Goodness of spatial structure in Japaneserock gardens. Japanese Psychological Research, 2011, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 391—401. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2011.00496.x.
22. Mokhtarian F., Abbasi S., Kittler J. Efficient and robust retrieval by shape content through curvature scale space. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Image Database and Multimedia Search. Eds. A.W.M. Smeulders, R. Jain. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Intelligent Sensory Information Systems, 1996, pp. 35—42.
23. Nagdyan R.M. Printsip simmetrii v kontseptsii A.I. Mirakyana [The principle of symmetry in the conception of A.I. Mirakyan]. A.I. Mirakyan i sovremennaya psikhologiya vospriyatiya: sb. Materialov nauchnoy konferentsii [A.I. Mirakyan and modern psychology of perception: Collection of scientific conference materials]. Moscow, PIRAO, 2010, pp. 218—226.
24. Pecchinenda A., Bertamini M., Makin A.D.J., Ruta N. The Pleasantness of Visual Symmetry: Always, Never or Sometimes. PLoS ONE, 2014, vol. 9, no. 3. e92685. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092685.
25. Perrett D.I., Burt D.M., Penton-Voak I.S., Lee K.J., Rowland D.A., Edwards R. Symmetry and Human Facial Attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 1999, vol. 20, pp. 295—307.doi:10.1016/S1090-5138(99)00014-8.
26. Poirier F.J.A.M., Wilson H.R. A biologically plausible model of human shape symmetry perception. Journal of Vision, 2010, vol. 10, pp. 1—16.
27. Sabadosh P.A. Resursnaya funkciya ehsteticheskih perezhivanij: analiz i sistematizaciya podhodov [Resource function of aesthetic experiences: analysis and systematization of approaches]. Psihologicheski jzhurnal [Psychological Journal], 2015, vol. 36, no 5, pp. 21—31.
28. Salgado-Montejo A., Alvarado J.A., Velasco C., Salgado C.J., Hasse K., Spence Ch. The sweetest thing: the influence of angularity, symmetry, and the number of elements on shape-valence and shape-taste matches. Frontiers in Psychology, 2015, vol. 6, pp. 1—17. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01382.
29. Sebastian T.B., Klein P.N., Kimia B.B. On aligning curves. IEEE transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence, 2003, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 116—125.
30. Tagliasacchi A., Delame T., Spagnuolo M., Amenta N., Telea A. 3D Skeletons: A State- of-the-Art Report. Proceeding EG ‘16 Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference of the European Association for Computer Graphics: State of the Art Reports. Eurographics Association Aire-la-Ville, 2016, v. 35, no. 2, pp. 573—597. doi: 10.1111/cgf.12865.
31. Treder M.S. Behind the Looking-Glass: A Review on Human Symmetry Perception. Symmetry, 2010, vol. 2, pp. 1510—1543. doi: 10.3390/sym2031510.
32. Treder M.S., van der Vloed G., van der Helm P.A. Interactions between constituent single symmetries in multiple symmetry. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 2011, vol. 73, pp. 1487—1502. doi: 10.3758/ s13414-011-0115-9.
33. Turoman N., Spence Ch. Cross-modal correspondence between visual symmetry and taste. Perception, 2016, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 329.
34. Van der Helm P.A. Symmetry perception. Oxford handbook of perceptual organization. Ed. J. Wagemans. Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 2015, pp. 108—128. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199686858.013.056.
35. Van der Helm P.A. The influence of perception on the distribution of multiple symmetries in nature and art. Symmetry, 2011, vol. 3, pp. 54—71. doi: 10.3390/sym3010054.
36. Van der Helm P.A. Weber-Fechner behavior in symmetry perception? Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 2010, vol. 72, pp. 1854—1864. doi: 10.3758/APP.72.7.1854.
37. Van Tonder G.J., Lyons M.J. Visual perception in Japanese rock garden design. Axiomathes, 2005, vol. 15, pp. 353—371. doi: 10.1007/s10516-004-5448-8.
38. Veyl G. Simmetriya [Symmetry]. Moscow, Nauka, 1968. 191 p.
39. Wade T.J. The Relationships between Symmetry and Attractiveness and Mating Relevant Decisions and Behavior: A Review. Symmetry, 2010, no. 2, pp. 1081—1098.
40. Winkielman P., Halberstadt J., Fazendeiro T., Catty S. Prototypes are attractive because they are easy on the mind. Psychological Science, 2006, vol. 17, pp. 799—806.
41. Xia H., Tucker P.G. Fast equal and biased distance fields for medial axis transform with meshing in mind. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 2011, vol. 35, pp. 5804—5819.
42. Zen garden secrets revealed [Elektronnyiresurs]. BBC News. 26.09.2002. URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/technology/2283398.stm (Accessed 12.04.2004).
43. Zhukova K.V., Reyer I.A. Svyaznost bazovogo skeletal I parametriccheskiy descriptor formy [Skeleton base connectivity and parametric shape descriptor]. Mashinnoye obucheniye I anali zdannykh [Machine Learning and Data Analysis], 2014, vol. 1, no 10, pp. 1354—1368.