IAEA 2026 · Linking appreciation for order and complexity in natural images, art, and abstract patterns

Eline Van Geert & Johan Wagemans
Biennial Congress of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics 2026 · Jena, Germany

What do preferences for order and complexity in abstract patterns tell us about preferences for order and complexity in other stimulus sets like paintings or natural scenes? In this study, we compare preferences for order and complexity at the individual and at the population level across five different stimulus sets: natural scenes, paintings, natural textures, photographs of neatly organized compositions, and abstract patterns. Based on subjective ratings from earlier studies, we selected pairs of images differing in either perceived order or perceived complexity while controlling for the other perceived dimension. Data were collected online for 505 image pairs and 249 student participants. In the pairs differing in perceived order, participants generally preferred the images with greater order. In the pairs differing in perceived complexity, participants generally preferred the images with greater complexity, except in the texture set. At the individual level, preferences for order and complexity within each stimulus set tended to be positively correlated: participants who more often preferred the more ordered image in the pairs testing for order influences, also more often preferred the more complex image in the complexity pairs, especially for the paintings, natural scenes and abstract patterns. Although correlations between an individual’s preferences for order and complexity across stimulus sets were generally positive, they were relatively low (for complexity: r = .05 to .34, for order: r = -.03 to .28, overall: r = -.05 to .30). In further data collection and analyses, we will assess the test-retest reliability of the preferences at the individual participant level and explore how different image and person characteristics, like objective image properties and individual differences in personality and art expertise, influence preferences for order and complexity across stimulus sets and individuals.