A Narrative Review of the Concept of Aesthetic Taste: Challenges for Empirical Consumer Research

Intellectuals have debated aesthetic taste since ancient times. However, fragmented definitions and a lack of consensus among authors represent challenges for empirical aesthetics, limiting its practical application in contexts such as consumer research. Despite its relevance, this broad and elusive concept remains underexplored in empirical consumer studies. This article reviews aesthetic taste to reveal three streams of thought and nine perspectives that describe how authors have addressed the concept since the eighteenth century. The challenges posed by these diverse, apparently disjointed views for empirical consumer studies are discussed. This study proposes a comprehensive framework for applying the concept in future studies. Findings suggest that aesthetic taste is a subjective and complex concept, best understood as a multidimensional, multifaceted, and multilevel phenomenon that harmonizes our perception of beauty and dynamically shapes consumer behavior. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of aesthetic phenomena in empirical consumer research.