The results of studies that have examined the influence of working memory load on aesthetic judgments are contradictory. While some studies have shown that memory load has no effect on aesthetic judgments (Bara et al., 2023), others have shown that high memory load can reduce beauty ratings (Brielmann & Pelli, 2017). In two experiments, we investigated how different types of memory load affect aesthetic evaluations of neutral object images. In Experiment 1, participants rehearsed visual and auditory memory items and rated the aesthetic appearance of images of chairs. Results showed that chairs received lower ratings in the more difficult auditory memory condition than in the easier visual load task. Experiment 2 used only visual memory items and showed that chairs received lower ratings under high memory load compared to a low load condition. Taken together, our results suggest that increased cognitive processing demands induced by rehearsing memory items negatively affect aesthetic judgments of object pictures. The type of memory task (e.g., different domains, different levels of load) appears to modulate its impact on aesthetic judgment, potentially explaining the inconsistencies observed in previous findings.
References:
Bara, I., Binney, R.J., & Ramsey, R. (2023). Investigating the role of working memory resources across aesthetic and nonaesthetic judgments. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 76, 1026-1044.
Brielmann, A. A. & Pelli, D. G. (2017). Beauty Requires Thought. Current Biology 27, 1506-1513.