News — Can art on a screen impact our mood positively, similar to its effect in real life? A research team comprising the University of Vienna, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Frankfurt am Main collaborated to examine this query. The EU Horizon ART*IS Project financed the study, and the findings are now available in an open access article published in Computers in Human Behavior.
The Monet Water Lily art exhibition from Google Arts and Culture was used to test the impact of art on mood and anxiety among 240 study participants. By completing a questionnaire, participants shared their state of mind, level of pleasure derived from viewing the art, and how meaningful they found the experience to be. The results indicated that even a brief viewing of the exhibition led to noteworthy improvements in mood and anxiety.
-According to MacKenzie Trupp, the first author from the University of Vienna, online art viewing is an underutilized means of enhancing well-being, which can be accessed in small, enjoyable segments that provide opportunities for both pleasure and meaning-making.
Furthermore, the study revealed that certain participants were more receptive to art than others and thus derived greater benefits. This advantage could be predicted through a metric known as "aesthetic responsiveness."
Edward A. Vessel, the creator of the Aesthetic Responsiveness Assessment (AReA) at MPIEA, clarifies that "aesthetic responsiveness" pertains to how people respond to a range of aesthetic stimuli, including art and nature. The findings demonstrate that individuals with elevated levels of art and aesthetic responsiveness benefit more from online art viewing, as they have more enjoyable and meaningful art experiences.
This study's findings are especially significant for individuals who cannot physically visit museums due to health issues. Additionally, the results imply that interactive art exhibitions and comparable online experiences should be created with an awareness of the distinct aesthetic responsiveness of individuals. As a result, this study enhances our understanding of the advantages and drawbacks of art in digital media and provides a pathway for maximizing the wellness potential of online art.
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