The default mode network, but not ventral occipitotemporal cortex, contains a domain-general representation of visual aesthetic appeal

Judgments of aesthetic appeal are critical for decision-making, and aesthetic experiences strongly impact well-being. A wide variety of visual objects can be evaluated aesthetically, from landscapes to artworks. Aesthetic evaluations recruit the ventral visual pathway, subcortical reward circuitry, and parts of the medial prefrontal cortex overlapping with the default-mode network (DMN). However, it is unknown whether any of these networks...