Dr Jasmina Stevanov

I was trained as an experimental psychologist and artist at the University of Belgrade and the University of Novi Sad in Serbia. My doctoral (Ritsumeikan University, 2009-2013) and postdoctoral (Kyoto University, 2013-2015) work in Japan focused on incorporating these two disciplines through the psychophysics of illusions and neuroscience of aesthetics; sitting at the cross-section of vision research and studies of art (re)perception.

My research in experimental aesthetics is focused on solving a centuries-old conundrum: what makes paintings aesthetically pleasing - their style or their semantic content? I use machine learning and eye-tracking techniques to explore individual preferences for visual art. The goal of my research is to offer automatic feedback about observers’ aesthetic preferences and predict their future choices. If successful our technology will enable museums, galleries, and immersive media to offer 1:1 curatorial service without increasing the cost of hosting art exhibitions.

In my current role as a Research Associate in the Cambridge Body, Mind and Behaviour lab, I work with Prof. Simone Schnall and Dr Ryan Doran on a project supported by Templeton Religion Trust “Higher Values: Aesthetic Experiences, Transcendence, and Prosociality”. Our team brings together expertise from social psychology, philosophy, art, neroaesthetics, vision sciences, experimental studies of visual arts and music to tackle grandiose questions:
How does engaging with art and other aesthetic objects affect people cognitively and affectively? Does it help people to take a step back, and see the bigger picture? Does it lead to greater meaning in life? Does it help to make people better by leading to greater endorsement of moral values or even to prosocial behaviour?