In three experiments preference for visually presented aesthetic material was investigated. There were three types of the stimuli. D (distant) type were reproductions of painting generally acknowledged as art, R (redundant) type were the same painting with added ornaments, while H (harmonic) type were, again, the same paintings simplified, with symmetry being dominant. As observed in the earlier studies, subjects preferences varied as a function of exposure duration: with short exposure duration (500 ms) subjects preferred the H type of stimuli, with 1000 ms they preferred the R type, while for the 1500 ms exposure duration the D type was the most preferred one. This outcome was the basis for the proposed model of aesthetic decision making. When, few years later, the same material was presented with an unlimited exposure duration, the R type of stimuli were preferred the most. Experiments aimed to evaluate which of the two processing levels (D or R) dominates the aesthetic decision making indicate that generations of students who participated in the two series of experiments differ with respect to their aesthetic preferences, which is ascribed to general deterioration of the educational system.