Differences in Visual Preferences and Cognitive Aptitudes of Professional Artists and Nonartists

Abstract

In one study, four tests of artistic judgment and a battery of cognitive ability tests were administered to examinee artists and nonartists. In another study, the artistic judgment tests were administered to professional artists and nonartists. The results showed professional artists and nonartists to differ significantly on all dimensions of visual preference and examinee artists to score significantly higher on several tests of cognitive ability. The results suggest fundamental differences between the visual preferences of artists and nonartists with interesting implications concerning the influence of art background on cognitive development.