APPRECIATION1 is the system by which evaluations are made of products and processes, It encompasses values which fall under the general heading of aesthetics, as well as a non-aesthetic category of `social valuation' which includes meanings such as significant and harmful. While JUDGEMENT evaluates human behaviours, APPRECIATION typically evaluates natural objects, manufactured objects, texts as well as more abstract constructs such as plans and policies. Humans may also be evaluated by means of APPRECIATION, rather than JUDGEMENT, when viewed more as entities than as participants who behave - thus, a beautiful woman, a key figure.
Values of APPRECIATION may focus on the compositional qualities of the evaluated entity - how well formed it is. For example - harmonious, symmetrical, balanced, convoluted. Or they may focus on the aesthetically-related reaction with which the entity is associated. That is, the APPRECIATION is formulated in terms of the entity's aesthetic impact - for example, arresting, captivating, boring, dreary, beautiful, lovely etc
Like both AFFECT and JUDGEMENT, values of APPRECIATION have either positive or negative status- harmonious versus discordant, beautiful versus ugly etc
They also can be located on the cline of low to high force/intensity: eg pretty, beautiful, exquisite.
1 The account set out here relies entirely on the work of Rothery, developed initially during research into the language of the visual arts for various DSP projects, as well as subsequent analysis by Rothery and Stenglin of the role of evaluation in secondary school English essays (Rothery and Stenglin in press). (For a review see Martin 1997: 24-26).
