Abstract
Children, 5, 8, and 11 years of age, were given the choice of exposing for themselves simple or complex patterns to view. In the case of random polygons, more simple than complex figures were exposed and contrariwise in the case of stimuli taken from Berlyne’s previous studies; in both cases, the differences were insignificant. Viewing times generally decreased with age; 5-year-olds, however, viewed simple figures longer than complex ones, 11-year-olds vice versa, and 8-year-olds showed no difference. The Age by Complexity interaction was discussed in terms of the dimensions of “interestingness” and “pleasingness.”
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The authors are now in the Departments of Psychology at the University of Reading and the University of Edinburgh, respectively. The Nuffield Foundation most generously supported this research.
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Hutt, C., McGRew, P.L. Do children really prefer visual complexity?. Psychon Sci 17, 113–114 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336475
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336475