MOSCOW, 2 Aug. Scientists from the University of Sussex in the UK have found that preferences in the fine arts can develop in a person from infancy. Babies as young as four months old can already taste like adults do, according to an article published in the scientific journal Journal of Vision.
In the study, 24 infants aged 18 to 40 weeks and 20 adults aged 18 to 43 were shown a selection of 40 works by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh. The paintings were shown in pairs, resulting in 45 different combinations for each participant. Infants' visual preferences were determined by which image they gazed at the longest, while adults were simply asked to say which picture seemed more «pleasant» to them.
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«We found that the reactions of infants and adults were significantly related: infants spent longer looking at art that adults found more enjoyable,» the article says.
Researchers found that children longer looked at paintings with a wide variety of brightness and range of colors used (adults also rated them higher). Scientists believe that it is easier for babies to see high-contrast pictures because their vision is a little blurry. However, infants also looked longer at images with lots of edges and curves that adults didn't like as much.
At the same time, scientists also took into account various factors that can influence the perception of painting by adults, for example, memories of a certain place that the image could inspire them.
Research has shown that infants' visual system and visual preferences are far more complex than commonly thought.