Reading between the pixels : expertise, textual information, and affect in aesthetic judgement of VR-art

This study delves into the transferability of aesthetic judgment influences from analog art viewing to a Virtual Reality (VR) setting, recognizing that art expertise typically enhances aesthetic judgement through increased positive affect. Additionally, it was anticipated that the relationship between art expertise and positive affect would be moderated by the type of textual information provided, positing that different types of texts (affective vs. stylistic) would activate different processing routes in novices versus art experts. Our findings reveal that while expertise continues to play a crucial role in shaping aesthetic judgment through positive affect, the anticipated moderation by textual information type did not materialize. The VR context might amplify the impact of affective texts on positive affect, or likewise decrease the impact of stylistic information, irrespective of expertise levels. These results underline how virtual art could leverage human emotions to enhance the viewer's experience.