Responses to symmetry measured with a series of implicit association tests

In previous work, we studied preference for symmetrical abstract patterns with the Implicit Association Test (IAT). On some trials, participants saw positive or negative words and classified them as quickly as possible. On interleaved trials, they saw reflection or random patterns and again had to classify them quickly using the same buttons. As expected, participants were faster in congruent trials (symmetry and positive, random and negative) than in incongruent trials (symmetry and negative, random and positive). In this study we included different dimensions (multidimensional IAT: Gattol, Sääksjärvi, & Carbon, 2011, PLoS ONE, 6, e15849), in addition to valence we looked at the relation between symmetry/random and arousal, complexity, and numerosity. Results showed a strong association between symmetry and positive valence (positive D scores based on t test), but also an association between symmetry and words higher in arousal. There was also a significant but weaker association between symmetry and simplicity. Finally, we found no association between preference for symmetry and the score on the Personal Need for Structure (PNS) questionnaire. Valence and arousal are believed to be independent dimensions of emotion, but we found that symmetry is associated with both, as well as with simplicity, possibly because of its perceptual fluency.