"Hidden Aesthetic Responses in the Brain" with Anjan Chatterjee
We are surrounded by people and places. Beyond communicating with people and navigating through places, we cannot help but evaluate them. In this talk, I will review basic conceptual underpinnings of neuroaesthetics, a relatively new field that examines the biological bases of aesthetic experiences. I will argue that our brains respond automatically to our aesthetic environment, by discussing recent results from my lab that focus on faces and architectural interiors. We have hidden brain and behavioral responses to facial beauty. These automatic responses have unfortunate consequences because of the promiscuity of our valuation systems, which links beauty and morality. Similarly, our brains respond to architectural interiors based on psychological construct of which we are not explicitly aware. These responses have implications for the relationship between the environment and our sense of well-being.
Food and refreshments will be served.
Bio: Anjan Chatterjee is the Frank A. and Gwladys H. Elliott Professor and Chair of Neurology at Pennsylvania Hospital and the founding director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. His clinical practice focuses on patients with cognitive disorders. His research addresses questions about spatial cognition and language, attention, neuroethics, and neuroaesthetics.