Incompleteness, aesthetic sensitivity, and the obsessive-compulsive need for symmetry

摘要

Background and objectives: The "need for symmetry" is a well recognized yet little understood feature of obsessive-compulsive (OC) experience. In light of the strong associations between the OC-related trait of incompleteness and symmetry-related behaviors and symptoms, and between perceptual symmetry and aesthetic judgments, this study examined whether trait incompleteness is associated with enhanced natural aesthetic skill and/or aesthetic sensitivity, particularly as they pertain to visual symmetry.