Natural Scenes Are Indeed Preferred, but Image Quality Might Have the Last Word

Numerous studies have shown that people prefer natural scenes over human-made scenes. Evolutionarily and neurologically based explanations for this preference have been proposed. This study examined the impact that image quality has on the preference for natural scenes. The authors also explored the influence of image quality on familiarity ratings and on how scenes are classified in a rapid, two-alternative, forced-choice task. Finally, the authors propose a framework for conceptualizing the nature of different image manipulation procedures, and how they influence aesthetic experiences.