Authors: Nittono, H., Shibata, H., Mizuhara, K., & Lieber-Milo, S.

Title: Which side looks better? Cultural differences in preference for left- or right-facing objects(どっち向きがよく見える?物体の左右の向きの好みは文化によって違う)

Journal(書誌情報): Symmetry 2020, 12(10), 1658.

doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/sym12101658

論文URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/12/10/1658

Abstract: An oblique view of three-dimensional objects is preferred over a frontal or lateral view, partly because it is more familiar and easily recognizable. However, which side of a symmetric object looks better remains unsolved. Reading direction, handedness, and the functionality of objects have been suggested as the potential sources of directional bias. In this study, participants of three online surveys (total N = 1082) were asked to choose one item that looked better or was more aesthetically pleasing; the test was performed between 100 pairs of left- and right-facing mirror-images. The results showed that Japanese participants (both vertical and left-to-right readers) and Israeli participants (right-to-left readers) preferred left-facing images over right-facing images, whereas American participants (left-to-right readers) preferred right-facing images over left-facing images. Weak effects of handedness and object functionality were also found: Left-handers tended to choose right-facing images more than right-handers, and the view of objects with a handle that is graspable by the dominant hand was more likely to be chosen over the opposite side view, regardless of culture. Although previous studies have emphasized the role of reading direction, a close look at the results suggests that it cannot fully account for the preferred facing direction of oblique objects.

著者Contact先の email: nittono[at]hus.osaka-u.ac.jp([at]を@に変更してください。)(入戸野 宏)

日本語によるコメント:椅子やバッグなど日常的な3次元物体の向きと見えのよさの関係について,日本・アメリカ・イスラエルの3国で,2肢強制選択判断課題を行いました。先行知見と同様に,日本人とイスラエル人は左向きの画像を好むのに対して,アメリカ人は右向きの画像を好みました。個人差は大きく,右向きを好む日本人も,左向きを好むアメリカ人もいました。文化によらず,左手利きは右向き画像を好むことが多いこと,また,利き手で握りやすい位置にハンドル(取っ手)がついた物体の向きを好むことが多いことも示されました。記述的な研究なので原因は特定できませんが,物体の向きの好みに文化差があることは確かなようです。