THE OBJECTS OF THIS STUDY WERE (1) TO DETERMINE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AVERAGE ESTHETIC SENSITIVITY TO VISUAL ART THROUGH THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL YEARS AND (2) TO DETERMINE IF APPROPRIATE TRAINING PROCEDURES WOULD LEAD CHILDREN TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN WORKS CONSIDERED BETTER OR POORER BY EXPERTS. CHILDREN FROM GRADES 1 TO 12 WERE PRESENTED WITH PAIRED VISUAL REPRODUCTION OF SIMILAR CHARACTER, BUT OF DIFFERENT ESTHETIC VALUE. THE SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO CHOOSE THE REPRODUCTION THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED BETTER BY AN EXPERT ON THE BASES OF (1) SELECTIVITY, (2) ORGANIZATION, (3) CONSISTENCY, (4) VARIETY, (5) ALIVENESS, (6) USE OF DECORATION, AND (7) APPROPRIATE USE OF ELEMENTS. CHILDREN IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT TENDENCY TO DISAGREE WITH EXPERT OPINION, BUT THIS DISAGREEMENT LESSENED DURING THE SECONDARY SCHOOL YEARS. ESTHETIC SENSITIVITY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WAS SHOWN TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY RELATED TO (1) INDEPENDENCE OF JUDGMENT AND (2) TOLERANCE OF COMPLEXITY. THE TECHNIQUE OF SHOWING PAIRED REPRODUCTIONS GAVE NO EVIDENCE OF ANY CONSISTENT EFFECT IN (1) ESTHETIC JUDGMENT OR (2) THE TENDENCY TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH EXPERT OPINION. (PM)