Abstract
A phenomenological model for aesthetic appraisal is proposed in terms of pragmatic information for a dynamic update semantics over belief states of an aesthetic appreciator. The model qualitatively correlates with aesthetic pleasure ratings in an experimental study on cadential effects in Western tonal music, conducted by Cheung et al. (Curr Biol 29(23):4084-4092.e4, 2019). Finally, related computational and neurodynamical accounts are discussed.