Curvilinearity is a perceptual feature that robustly predicts preference ratings for a variety of visual stimuli. The predictive effect of curved/angular shape overlaps, to a large degree, with regularities in second-order edge-orientation entropy, which captures how independent edge orientations are distributed across an image. For some complex line patterns, edge-orientation entropy is actually a better predictor for what human observers like than curved/angular shape. The present work was designed to disentangle the role of the two features in artificial patterns that consisted of either curved or angular line elements. We systematically varied these patterns across two more dimensions, edge-orientation entropy and the number of lines. Eighty-three participants rated the stimuli along three aesthetic dimensions (pleasing, harmonious, and complex). Results showed that curved/angular shape was a stronger predictor for ratings of pleasing and harmonious if the stimuli consisted of a few lines that were clearly discernible. By contrast, edge-orientation entropy was a stronger predictor for the ratings if the stimuli showed many lines, which merged into a texture. No such differences were obtained for complexity ratings. Our findings are in line with results from neurophysiological studies that the processing of shape and texture, respectively, is mediated by different cortical mechanisms.

中文翻译：

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线条图案的美感：边缘取向熵和曲线形状的影响


曲线是一种感知特征，可以稳健地预测各种视觉刺激的偏好评级。弯曲/角度形状的预测效果在很大程度上与二阶边缘方向熵的规律性重叠，二阶边缘方向熵捕获独立边缘方向如何在图像上分布。对于一些复杂的线条图案，边缘方向熵实际上比曲线/角度形状更能预测人类观察者的喜好。目前的工作旨在理清由曲线或角线元素组成的人造图案中这两个特征的作用。我们在两个维度（边缘方向熵和线数）上系统地改变了这些模式。八十三名参与者从三个审美维度（愉悦、和谐和复杂）对刺激进行评分。结果表明，如果刺激由几条清晰可辨的线条组成，那么弯曲/有角的形状对于令人愉悦和和谐的评分来说是更强的预测因子。相比之下，如果刺激显示出许多线条并合并成纹理，则边缘方向熵对于评分来说是更强的预测因子。对于复杂性评级，没有获得这样的差异。我们的发现与神经生理学研究的结果一致，即形状和纹理的处理分别是由不同的皮质机制介导的。