The influence of college students’ aesthetic cognitions on aesthetic behaviours: The Chain mediation effect

Abstract

This research investigates the psychological and behavioural mechanisms of college students’ aesthetic behaviours. A survey was administered to 1,060 students attending general undergraduate universities and measured four structured scales: aesthetic cognition, aesthetic emotion, aesthetic value tendency and aesthetic behaviour. The responses were scored with a 5-point Likert scale. Structural equation modelling was used to construct the measurement model and structural model. The survey results indicate a positive correlation among the four variables. Second, aesthetic cognition has a direct and positive predictive effect on college students’ daily aesthetic practices. Furthermore, aesthetic cognition influences aesthetic behaviour through the chain mediating effect of aesthetic feeling and aesthetic preference. Accordingly, we conclude that the concrete path and mechanism of college students’ aesthetic cognitions affect their aesthetic behaviours. Specifically, college students’ aesthetic cognitive abilities are conducive to their cognitions of positive aesthetic feelings and their cultivation of aesthetic standards, boosting the development of their daily aesthetic practice.