Exposure to Different Levels of Visual Complexity Influences Judgments of Complexity and Liking

Abstract

We examined how familiarity with low or high complexity images influences complexity, liking and understanding judgments. Participants were first familiarized with either low or high complexity images. They then rated a set of intermediately complex images on perceived complexity, liking, and understanding. Data were analyzed using Bayesian mixed-effects models, controlling for declarative art knowledge, art interest, and visual art recognition. Participants familiarized with high complexity images rated intermediately complex images as less complex, indicating a contrast effect. Higher declarative art knowledge was linked to increased complexity ratings. Additionally, liking judgments were predicted by complexity ratings, especially among participants familiarized with simpler images, revealing that prior exposure shapes the relationship between complexity and liking. In contrast, understanding judgments were unaffected by complexity ratings or familiarization. These findings highlight the role of prior exposure in shaping visual complexity judgments, demonstrating how familiarity with certain complexity levels recalibrates perceptual baselines and influences subsequent evaluative judgments.