Prototypicality as an Explanatory Concept in Aesthetics: A Reply to Boselie (1991)

Abstract

After more than a decade of research into the effect of prototypicality on aesthetic preference, Boselie strongly questioned the validity of this concept [1]. It is argued, however, that his arguments against prototypicality as an explanatory concept in aesthetics are not convincing. The observed effects of prototypicality on preference together with theoretical notions on the importance of classification for perception and appraisal make a strong case for examining the relations between aesthetic preference and (proto)typicality.