2004/07/26 by Jèmeljan Hakemulder · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Aesthetic Perception and Analysis #Color perception and design #Media Influence and Health
paper · doi:10.1207/s15326950dp3802_3
openalex publication_date 2004/07/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
There is an abundance of theory concerning the effects of reading literature. Some researchers do reveal effects, but few explain them. When they do, the textual features examined are neither necessary nor sufficient for literariness. Three experiments are presented here that study the relation between literary text quality and literary reading experience (aesthetic appreciation). The studies contrast effects of original literary texts and manipulated versions in which the degree of foregrounding found in the originals was minimized. To establish effects of foregrounding on literary reading experience, a rereading procedure was used. Results in part showed that foregrounding causes higher scores on aesthetic appreciation after participants read the texts a 2nd time. Furthermore, the literary texts revealed positive perception effects compared to nonforegrounding versions. These results suggest that foregrounding may enhance aesthetic appreciation and may be responsible for effects on perception.