The role of attitudes toward ambiguity in haiku appreciation

Abstract

Ambiguity in artistic contexts can be appreciated, despite being typically avoided in daily life. Previous research has shown that ambiguity generally reduces aesthetic appreciation of haiku, but the role of individual differences in this relationship remains unclear. We examined how the three dimensions of attitude toward ambiguity—Discomfort with Ambiguity, Absolutism, and Need for Complexity and Novelty—moderate the relationship between perceived ambiguity and aesthetic evaluation. One hundred and ten university students rated 24 haiku poems for beauty and ambiguity, and completed the Multidimensional Attitude toward Ambiguity Scale. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that while ambiguity generally had a negative effect on aesthetic evaluation, this relationship was moderated by Discomfort with Ambiguity and Need for Complexity and Novelty, but not by Absolutism. Specifically, individuals high in both Discomfort with Ambiguity and Need for Complexity and Novelty showed more moderate decreases in aesthetic evaluation as ambiguity increased, compared to their low-scoring counterparts. These findings suggest that sensitivity to ambiguity, whether manifested as discomfort or appreciation, may help maintain aesthetic appreciation in the face of ambiguity. The results contribute to our understanding of how individual differences shape artistic appreciation and have implications for art education and the cultivation of ambiguity tolerance through artistic engagement.