Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics

Human attempts to understand the factors involved in aesthetic preferences have a long history, extending from pure art to product aesthetics. Adopting the Unified Model of Aesthetics (UMA), this study simultaneously investigates the effects of opposing factors on stimulus aesthetic preferences from...

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Main Authors: Ma, Jun, Yahaya, Mohd Faiz, Tai, Lichen, Whitfield, Allan, Barron, Deirdre
Format: Article
Published: SAGE Publications Inc. 2025
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119182/
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author Ma, Jun
Yahaya, Mohd Faiz
Tai, Lichen
Whitfield, Allan
Barron, Deirdre
author_facet Ma, Jun
Yahaya, Mohd Faiz
Tai, Lichen
Whitfield, Allan
Barron, Deirdre
author_sort Ma, Jun
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Human attempts to understand the factors involved in aesthetic preferences have a long history, extending from pure art to product aesthetics. Adopting the Unified Model of Aesthetics (UMA), this study simultaneously investigates the effects of opposing factors on stimulus aesthetic preferences from three levels: perceptual, cognitive, and social. The study used smartwatches as stimuli and was conducted on a 7-point Likert scale with 203 participants from China. The results are precise: the higher the contributions of unity at the perceptual level, typicality at the cognitive level, and connectedness at the social level, the higher the aesthetic preference. On the other hand, when the UMA model simultaneously measures the influence intensity of opposing factors, the cognitive level has the most significant influence, followed by the perceptual level, and the social level has the lowest impact. This research will provide product designers with theoretical guidance and design directions for future wearable devices.
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institution Universiti Putra Malaysia
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last_indexed 2025-11-15T14:43:47Z
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publisher SAGE Publications Inc.
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spelling upm-1191822025-08-07T03:36:58Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119182/ Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics Ma, Jun Yahaya, Mohd Faiz Tai, Lichen Whitfield, Allan Barron, Deirdre Human attempts to understand the factors involved in aesthetic preferences have a long history, extending from pure art to product aesthetics. Adopting the Unified Model of Aesthetics (UMA), this study simultaneously investigates the effects of opposing factors on stimulus aesthetic preferences from three levels: perceptual, cognitive, and social. The study used smartwatches as stimuli and was conducted on a 7-point Likert scale with 203 participants from China. The results are precise: the higher the contributions of unity at the perceptual level, typicality at the cognitive level, and connectedness at the social level, the higher the aesthetic preference. On the other hand, when the UMA model simultaneously measures the influence intensity of opposing factors, the cognitive level has the most significant influence, followed by the perceptual level, and the social level has the lowest impact. This research will provide product designers with theoretical guidance and design directions for future wearable devices. SAGE Publications Inc. 2025-01 Article PeerReviewed Ma, Jun and Yahaya, Mohd Faiz and Tai, Lichen and Whitfield, Allan and Barron, Deirdre (2025) Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics. Empirical Studies of the Arts, 43 (2). pp. 1051-1069. ISSN 0276-2374; eISSN: 1541-4493 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02762374241309880 10.1177/02762374241309880
spellingShingle Ma, Jun
Yahaya, Mohd Faiz
Tai, Lichen
Whitfield, Allan
Barron, Deirdre
Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics
title Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics
title_full Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics
title_fullStr Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics
title_full_unstemmed Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics
title_short Exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the Unified Model of Aesthetics
title_sort exploring smartwatch aesthetic preferences through the unified model of aesthetics
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119182/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119182/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/119182/