{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T16:46:21Z","timestamp":1784738781083,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]],"date-time":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752105600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Surface neatness is a fundamental yet underexplored determinant of the aesthetic evaluation of everyday objects. While prior research has typically examined individual surface features - such as gloss, shine, dirt, or scratches - in isolation, the holistic impact of surface neatness has received little systematic attention.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>In this study, participants viewed images of objects from five categories (household items, tools, personal use items, stationery, and kitchen utensils), each presented in three surface conditions: untidy (displaying mechanical and hygienic defects), neutral (without visible defects), and neat (exhibiting gloss and cleanliness). For each object, participants provided a preference rating reflecting their aesthetic evaluation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Analysis revealed a robust effect of surface neatness on aesthetic preference: objects in the untidy condition consistently received the lowest ratings, while neat surfaces were rated most attractive. The differences between all surface conditions were statistically significant.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>These results demonstrate that surface neatness is a dynamic and salient factor shaping the perceived value and desirability of everyday objects. The findings underscore the need for more rigorous operationalization of surface properties in empirical research on human-object interaction and suggest practical applications for product design, consumer psychology, and sustainable practices, where surface conditions directly influence aesthetic experience and object appeal.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1578785","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]],"date-time":"2025-07-10T16:50:25Z","timestamp":1752166225000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Surface neatness as an index of aesthetic value of everyday objects"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Tatiana","family":"Ledneva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andriy","family":"Myachykov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yury","family":"Shtyrov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1016\/J.ACTPSY.2011.10.004","article-title":"All is beautiful? 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