Subjective norms of paintings: Integrating perceptual, cognitive, and emotional dimensions

Abstract

Artworks, such as paintings, are frequently utilized as stimuli in research and interventions. However, the complexity of their perceptual, emotional, and cognitive properties necessitates rigorous validation to ensure the reliability of research outcomes and the efficacy of their application in real-world contexts. A few studies have already established norms for paintings. Still, the type of stimuli (e.g., artificial intelligence [AI]-generated) and the comprehensiveness of the assessed dimensions may not entirely capture the complexity of human-made ecological artworks. The current study establishes norms for a diverse set of 144 human-made paintings retrieved from the publicly accessible WikiArt database and thematically clustered into four categories: objects (n = 36), places (n = 36), people (n = 36), and abstract (n = 36) works. European Portuguese native speakers (N = 361) rated the paintings in 11 perceptual, cognitive, and emotional dimensions. Participants also provided qualitative descriptions of the paintings, detailing their content and recognized elements. Descriptive data for each painting are provided by dimension and category. Correlations among the dimensions and between individual variables (e.g., personality traits, prior experience with the arts) and the evaluative ratings are also reported. The results indicate that this painting set is diverse, allowing for the selection of artworks that represent different levels of the evaluated dimensions across stimulus categories. These norms fill a critical gap in the standardized evaluation of paintings, facilitating a more precise and controlled use of these stimuli in experimental, clinical, and creative expression applications.