Affect and cognition interface in aesthetic experiences of landscapes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive theory of landscape experience that provides logical explanations for both similar and different landscape evaluations. In order to achieve this purpose, a new conceptual model of landscape experience was developed on the basis of the affect and cognition interface of human perception. Also, the model was empirically assessed with regard to the proposition of the model that affective experiences of landscapes were influenced by three cognitive factors (a person's tasks, schematic knowledge, landscape situation). A quasi-experimental design was used for the empirical testing. The design consisted of four independent variables and three dependent variables. The independent variables were "schematic knowledge (cultural schema: Koreans vs. Texans, and social schema: farmers vs. nonfarmers vs. landscape architecture students)," "landscape beauty (High-beauty vs. Low-beauty)," "landscape meaning (Korean-positive vs. Texan-positive vs. Korean-neutral), " and "tasks (viewing vs. picnicking vs. living)." Dependent variables were "scenic beauty judgments," "picnic preference judgments," and "living preference judgments." The results showed that the four factors (landscape beauty, landscape meaning, tasks, schematic knowledge) were important determinants of the three affective judgments. The results led to the conclusion that there were both similarities and differences in people's aesthetic or affective experiences of landscapes. Landscape beauty contributed to similarities among people in their aesthetic responses, and the other three factors led to differences in their aesthetic responses. However, the effect of landscape beauty overwhelmed the other three factors. The overwhelming effect implied more similarities than differences in people's aesthetic experiences of landscapes. To specify the results, people had similar preferences for high beauty landscapes, regardless of the differences in their socio-cultural identities and tasks, and meanings they had in landscapes...