Is it true that we learn better what we like? Current neuroaesthetic and neurocomputational models of aesthetic appreciation postulate the existence of a correlation between aesthetic appreciation and learning. However, even though aesthetic appreciation has been associated with attentional enhancements, systematic evidence demonstrating its influence on learning processes is still lacking. Here, in two experiments, we investigated the relationship between aesthetic preferences for consonance versus dissonance and the memorisation of musical intervals and chords. In Experiment 1, 60 participants were first asked to memorise and evaluate arpeggiated triad chords (memorisation phase), then, following a distraction task, chords’ memorisation accuracy was measured (recognition phase). Memorisation resulted to be significantly enhanced for subjectively preferred as compared with non-preferred chords. To explore the possible neural mechanisms underlying these results, we performed an EEG study, directed to investigate implicit perceptual learning dynamics (Experiment 2). Through an auditory mismatch detection paradigm, electrophysiological responses to standard/deviant intervals were recorded, while participants were asked to evaluate the beauty of the intervals. We found a significant trial-by-trial correlation between subjective aesthetic judgements and single trial amplitude fluctuations of the ERP attention-related N1 component. Moreover, implicit perceptual learning, expressed by larger mismatch detection responses, was enhanced for more appreciated intervals. Altogether, our results showed the existence of a relationship between aesthetic appreciation and implicit learning dynamics as well as higher-order learning processes, such as memorisation. This finding might suggest possible future applications in different research domains such as teaching and rehabilitation of memory and attentional deficits.

我们真的能更好地学习我们喜欢的东西吗？当前审美欣赏的神经美学和神经计算模型假设审美欣赏和学习之间存在相关性。然而，尽管审美欣赏与注意力增强有关，但仍然缺乏系统证据证明其对学习过程的影响。在这里，在两个实验中，我们研究了和谐与不和谐的审美偏好与音程和和弦的记忆之间的关系。在实验 1 中，首先要求 60 名参与者记忆和评估琶音三和弦（记忆阶段），然后，在一项分散注意力的任务之后，测量和弦的记忆准确度（识别阶段））。与非首选和弦相比，主观首选和弦的记忆力显着增强。为了探索这些结果背后可能的神经机制，我们进行了一项脑电图研究，旨在研究隐式感知学习动力学（实验 2）。通过听觉不匹配检测范例，记录对标准/异常间隔的电生理反应，同时要求参与者评估间隔的美感。我们发现主观审美判断与 ERP 注意相关 N1 分量的单次试验幅度波动之间存在显着的逐次试验相关性。此外，由更大的不匹配检测响应表示的隐式感知学习在更受赞赏的间隔中得到了增强。共，我们的研究结果表明，审美鉴赏与内隐学习动态以及高阶学习过程（如记忆）之间存在关系。这一发现可能表明未来可能在不同的研究领域得到应用，例如记忆和注意力缺陷的教学和康复。