Contour Bias
In design and psychology, the tendency to prefer contoured or rounded objects, where sharp angles and pointed features evoke a threat response.
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Origin
The bias was scientifically identified in a 2006 study by neuroscientists Moshe Bar and Maital Neta titled "Humans Prefer Curved Visual Objects," published in Psychological Science. Using preference ratings and fMRI brain scanning, they found that sharp-angled neutral objects produced significantly greater activation in the amygdala — the brain's threat-processing center — suggesting the preference has evolutionary, not purely cultural, roots.
Updated February 22, 2026