“Landscape and Evolution”? Landscape perception and evolutionary-psychological theories

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Marco Stella
Karel Stibral

Abstract

The article critically evaluates evolutionary-psychological theories of human landscape preference and its aesthetical appreciation. We follow the roots of these thoughts within the EEA concept and their divergent development in separate theoretical trends - habitat theory, prospect-refuge theory and lastly the highly problematic savanna theory. Dealing with the last mentioned, its dubious elements are highlighted. We draw attention to the inadequate connection between human EEA and Pleistocene Africa and the unproblematic determination of human aesthetical preferences as "savanna oriented". Such an attitude is de facto anti-evolutionary and several arguments against it can be given from the field of cultural history. The narrowly defined notions of evolutionary-biological relevance of the preference of savanna-type landscapes are in a strict contrast with other lesser known, yet much more credible and general theory of Kaplan and Kaplan (1989).

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How to Cite
Stella, M., & Stibral, K. (2009). “Landscape and Evolution”? Landscape perception and evolutionary-psychological theories. Envigogika, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.14712/18023061.41
Section
Reviewed Papers

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