Opposing Art: Rejection as an Action Tendency of Hostile Aesthetic Emotions

Abstract

One of Berlyne's many intriguing ideas was that aesthetic feelings have implications for behavior, particularly actions associated with approach, avoidance, and exploration. Later models of aesthetic emotions, however, have not addressed the implications of aesthetic emotions for action. Using controversial contemporary photography, two experiments examined the behavioral implications of negative emotions. Feelings of anger and disgust predicted self-reported indicators of rejection (Experiment 1) and the probability of choosing to receive a controversial postcard as a gift (Experiment 2). These findings illustrate relationships between appraisal, emotions, and action tendencies, and they expand the evidence for the appraisal approach to aesthetic emotions.