Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test various postulates concerning the interrelationships between the arousal potential, the arousal level, and the attractiveness of a set of paragraphs differing in complexity. The effect of paragraph complexity on arousal level arid ratings of attractiveness was significant. A significant U-shaped relationship between paragraph complexity and arousal level was observed. A significant negative linear relationship between paragraph arousal level and ratings of attractiveness was found. There was a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between paragraph complexity and ratings of attractiveness.
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This study is based on a doctoral dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD degree, Department of Applied Psychology, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Eduation, University of Toronto. The author is indebted to F. J. Clifford, the principal of Peterborough Teachers’ College, and the students of the College, who acted as Ss, and to H. I. Day, H. G. Narrol, and G. L. McDiarmid for helpful comments regarding the preparation of this report.
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Evans, D.R. Paragraph complexity, arousal, and subjective evaluations of attractiveness. Psychon Sci 23, 303–304 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336122
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336122