Pleasingness vs interestingness of visual stimuli with controlled complexity: their relationship to looking time as a function of exposure time.

Ss take more time to perceive interesting/displeasing stimuli than uninteresting/pleasing ones. This is consistent with the results of former experiments. However we used a different operationalization of looking time, based on binocular rivalry. Each of six stimulus pairs was presented in a stereoscope. One member of each pair was interesting but displeasing in comparison to the other member. Stimulus complexity was under control. Due to binocular rivalry Ss perceived only one pattern a time. 20 Ss were asked to indicate which pattern they actually saw by pushing two buttons. For each stimulus pair was registered how long each button was pushed during each of six successive minutes. Unlike other operationalizations this one is less dependent on S's determination of what stimulus will be looked at or for how long. It has the advantage that it is bound up more exclusively with relations of similarity and dissimilarity between stimulus elements. It allows manipulation of exposure time in a systematic and continous way. There is no significant interaction between looking and exposure time.