Showing papers in "Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts in 2013"

The neuroaesthetics of music.

Abstract: sof HBM10, 16th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human BrainMapping, Barcelona, June 6–10, 2010 .Brattico, E., Alluri, V., Bogert, B., Jacobsen, T., Vartiainen, N., Nieminen,S.,...Tervaniemi, M. (2011). A functional MRI study of happy and sademotions in music with and without lyrics. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 308. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00308Brattico, E., Brattico, P., & Jacobsen, T. (2009–2010). The origins of theaestheticenjoymentofmusic-Areviewoftheliterature. MusicaeScientiae,Special issue 2009–2010, 15–31. doi:10.1177/1029864909013002031Brattico, E., Bogert, B., & Jacobsen, T. (in press). Towards a neuralchronometry for the aesthetic experience of music. Frontiers in Psychol-ogy .Brattico, E., Jacobsen, T., De Baene, W., Glerean, E., & Tervaniemi, M.(2010). Cognitive vs. affective listening modes and judgments of music:An ERP study. Biological Psychology, 85, 393–409. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.08.014Brattico, E., Naatanen, R., Verma, T., Valimaki, V., & Tervaniemi, M.(2000, August).

Assessment of Divergent Thinking by means of the Subjective Top-Scoring Method: Effects of the Number of Top-Ideas and Time-on-Task on Reliability and Validity.

Abstract: Divergent thinking tasks are commonly used as indicators of creative potential, but traditional scoring methods of ideational originality face persistent problems such as low reliability and lack of convergent and discriminant validity. Silvia et al. (2008) have proposed a subjective top-2 scoring method, where participants are asked to select their two most creative ideas, which then are evaluated for creativity. This method was found to avoid problems with discriminant validity, and to outperform other scoring methods in terms of convergent validity. These findings motivate a more general, systematic analysis of the subjective top-scoring method. Therefore, this study examined how reliability and validity of the originality and fluency scores depend on the number of top-ideas and on time-on-task. The findings confirm that subjective top-scoring avoids the confounding of originality with fluency. The originality score showed good internal consistency, and evidence of reliability was found to increase as a function of the number of top-ideas and of time-on-task. Convergent validity evidence, however, was highest for a time-on-task of about 2 to 3 minutes and when using a medium number of about three top-ideas. Reasons for these findings are discussed together possible limitations of this study and future directions. The article also presents some general recommendations for the assessment of divergent thinking with the subjective top-scoring method.

Furious activity vs. understanding: How much expertise is needed to evaluate creative work?

Abstract: What is the role of expertise in evaluating creative products? Novices and experts do not assess creativity similarly, indicating domain-specific knowledge’s role in judging creativity. We describe two studies that examined how “quasi-experts” (people who have more experience in a domain than novices but also lack recognized standing as experts) compared with novices and experts in rating creative work. In Study 1, we compared different types of quasi-experts with novices and experts in rating short stories. In Study 2, we compared experts, quasi-experts, and novices in evaluating an engineering product (a mousetrap design). Quasi-experts (regardless of type) seemed to be appropriate raters for short stories, yet results were mixed for the engineer quasi-experts. Some domains may require more expertise than others to properly evaluate creative work.

Perceiving benefits after adversity: The relationship between self-reported posttraumatic growth and creativity.

Abstract: Anecdotal and scientific evidence has documented the existence of a relationship between the experience of adversity and creativity. Accounts of the challenges endured by creative individuals suggest that they may have been able to channel their negative experiences as sources of inspiration and motivation for their work. Increased creativity may therefore constitute a manifestation of posttraumatic growth, defined as retrospective perceptions of positive psychological changes that take place following experiences of highly challenging life circumstances. To investigate this hypothesis, the present study tested whether scores on a measure of posttraumatic growth and depreciation related to scores on self-reported measures of creativity in the aftermath of adversity. Results of a path analysis showed that adversity-induced distress predicted self-reported creative growth and breadth in a sample of online participants. Cognitive processing (intrusive/deliberative rumination) as well as domains of posttraumatic growth/ depreciation—in particular, self-reported changes in interpersonal relationships and in the perception of new possibilities for one’s life—mediated the link between self-reported distress and creativity outcomes. This study is the first focused investigation showing that self-reported posttraumatic growth may be manifested through perceptions of increased creativity.

What You Read Matters: The Role of Fiction Genre in Predicting Interpersonal Sensitivity

Abstract: Previous studies have found a positive relationship between exposure to fiction and interpersonal sensitivity. However, it is unclear whether exposure to different genres of fiction may be differentially related to these outcomes for readers. The current study investigated the role of four fiction genres (i.e., Domestic Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction/Fantasy, and Suspense/Thriller) in the relationship between fiction and interpersonal sensitivity, controlling for other individual differences. Participants completed a survey that included a lifetime print-exposure measure along with an interpersonal sensitivity task. Some, but not all, fiction genres were related to higher scores on our measure of interpersonal sensitivity. Furthermore, after controlling for personality, gender, age, English fluency, and exposure to nonfiction, only the Romance and Suspense/Thriller genres remained significant predictors of interpersonal sensitivity. The findings of this study demonstrate that in discussing the influence of fiction print-exposure on readers it is important to consider the genre of the literature being consumed.

Do People Recognize the Four Cs? Examining Layperson Conceptions of Creativity

Abstract: Researchers examine implicit beliefs about creativity to understand what laypeople think. Past work has looked at cultural differences, characteristics associated with creativity, and the positive or negative valence that people feel toward creativity. In this study, we focused on the Four C Model of Creativity (Beghetto & Kaufman, 2007; Kaufman & Beghetto, 2009) to discover if laypeople perceive nuances in different levels of accomplishment. We found that although Pro-c and little-c merged into one factor, Big-C, mini-c, and Not-c (not creative) were distinguishable. Personality (particularly agreeableness and openness) predicted how participants rated different levels of creativity.

The Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Task Type on Malevolent Creativity

Abstract: Malevolent creativity (MC), or intending to inflict harm in original ways, is an aspect of creativity that has received little empirical attention. It reasons that generating malevolently creative products in response to a problem is dependent upon individual differences and environmental factors, especially with regard to the social and emotional content of a particular problem. A personality variable strongly associated with how individuals acknowledge and respond to such social and emotional content is emotional intelligence (EI). Individuals with higher EI often solve problems in cooperative, beneficial, and positive ways, which seems contrary to solving a problem with MC. In addition to testing whether EI is negatively related to MC in general, we analyzed whether that negative relationship would persist even after controlling for cognitive ability and task effects. Those questions were examined across two studies. Results suggest that individuals with lower EI are more likely to respond to different types of problems with increased instances of MC even when the social or emotional content of those problems are factored out. The implications and limitations of these studies, as well as future directions for the study of MC, are discussed.

Context matters: investigating the impact of contextual information on aesthetic appreciation of paintings by Max Ernst and Pablo Picasso

Abstract: A small body of work has suggested that understanding and appreciation of artworks are affected by the presentation of concurrent contextualizing information, such as titular and descriptive information. The present studies examined the effects of different types of information and different art styles on understanding and aesthetic appreciation. Study 1 showed that elaborate, content-specific information had the greatest impact on both understanding and aesthetic appreciation of abstract paintings by Max Ernst, relative to broad genre information, titular information, or no contextualizing information. Study 2 showed that the provision of content-specific information resulted in greater understanding and appreciation of abstract artworks by Pablo Picasso, but not representational paintings by the same artist. Study 3 showed that, compared with relevant information, the presentation of nonrelevant, content-related information about artworks did not result in improved understanding and appreciation. In each of the three studies, appraised ability to understand artworks fully mediated the relationship between information presentation and aesthetic appreciation. These results are consistent with a psycho-historical framework, which proposes that studies of aesthetic appreciation must take into account the impact of the art–historical context.

Next steps in neuroaesthetics: Which processes and processing stages to study?

Abstract: Aesthetic experiences arise from the interaction among several cognitive and emotional processes. By positing a number of distinctive processing stages, information-processing models have served as fruitful frames for empirical research on the perception of art and aesthetic experiences in general. Such theoretically founded proposals have contributed, among other issues, to our understanding of stylerelated processing, the time course of early processes, and the relevance of prior experience, including massive familiarization, emotional states, and expertise. Here we examine the implications of recent empirical research for the components of an information-processing model of aesthetic experiences (Leder, Belke, Oeberst & Augustin, 2004). On the one hand, our analysis suggests that the model underestimated the complexity and relevance of emotional processes involved in experiencing art. On the other hand, it has led to new insights into the temporal processes underlying the aesthetic experience and helped clarify issues that will be relevant for future research in experimental aesthetics and neuroaesthetics.

Neural Interactions That Give Rise to Musical Pleasure

Abstract: Music is arguably one of the most potent rewards, existing in all cultures as far back as history dates, and currently reported to be among the most pleasurable stimuli by most individuals. In this review, we summarize the literature to investigate how a mere sequence of sound events can become so pleasurable. We examine the role of the brain’s mesolimbic reward and reinforcement circuitry in processing of rewards, and how the connectivity of this system has become more integrated with higher-order brain regions involved in complex thought to give rise to abstract pleasures. We suggest an integrative role for complex cortical processes with long-existing reinforcement circuits and an interaction between sensory processing and decoding mechanisms and affective processing.

Dance as a subject for empirical aesthetics.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the possibilities that research on dance appreciation offers empirical aesthetics, as well as the challenges it poses. Behavioral and neuroimaging approaches have, to date, mainly focused on the perception and recognition of human body movement and structure. A small number of studies, nonetheless, have explicitly taken the basic research on the perceptual, emotional and cognitive processes engaged during movement observation, together with their neural concomitants, as a starting point to understand the aesthetic experience triggered by the observation of a dance. We provide an overview of these studies and, thereafter, point out avenues for future research on dance appreciation within the scope of empirical aesthetics. We also note some methodological and conceptual issues that should be taken into account in the design of empirical studies of the aesthetic appreciation of dance, including dance theory scholarship and humanistic approaches to dance practice. Finally, we describe how common movement features of dance styles around the world suggest that humans may be endowed with an evolved cognitive ability to appreciate and to be aesthetically moved by dance.

Metalheads: The influence of personality and individual differences on preference for heavy metal

Abstract: Previous studies have reported reliable associations between personality and music preferences, but have tended to rely on cross-genre preferences at the expense of preferences within a single subgenre. We sought to overcome this limitation by examining associations between individual differences and preferences for a specific subgenre of music, namely, contemporary heavy metal. A total of 414 individuals from Britain were presented with clips of 10 tracks of contemporary heavy metal and asked to rate each for liking. Participants also completed measures of the Big Five personality traits, attitudes toward authority, self-esteem, need for uniqueness, and religiosity. A multiple regression showed that stronger composite preference for the heavy metal tracks was associated with higher Openness to Experience, more negative attitudes toward authority, lower self-esteem, greater need for uniqueness, and lower religiosity. In addition, men showed a significantly stronger preference for the tracks than women (d 0.54). These results are discussed in terms of the psychological needs that contemporary heavy metal fills for some individuals.

An evolutionary approach to art and aesthetic experience.

Abstract: A comprehensive characterization of the neurobiological underpinnings of artistic activities and aesthetic experience will require understanding of their evolution. Evolutionary approaches to these phenomena have thus far lacked adequate conceptual, archaeological, and neurobiological grounding. Here, after the necessary conceptual clarifications, we review the basic archaeological and neurobiological evidence that should be accounted for by any hypothesis about the evolution of visual art and aesthetic appreciation. We end by arguing that, in order to overcome the limitations of prior interdisciplinary attempts, such scenarios should take the form of gradual and mosaic coevolutionary processes.

Middle Temporal Gyrus Encodes Individual Differences in Perceived Facial Attractiveness

Abstract: Given the far-reaching implications of facial attractiveness for human behavior, its neural correlates have been the focus of much recent interest. However, whereas the focus of previous studies has been on highlighting a common network that underlies attractiveness judgments for all participants, we were also interested in examining individual differences in perceived facial attractiveness. We scanned 29 participants with functional MRI as they evaluated the attractiveness of faces. Activation in left anterior frontal cortex and right middle occipital gyrus covaried as a function of attractiveness ratings, which we attribute to making evaluative judgments involving the rewarding properties of faces. In addition, comparing participants who on average gave higher versus lower ratings to faces revealed activation in right middle temporal gyrus exclusively. We suggest that the activation in middle temporal gyrus reflects an aspect of individual differences in perceived facial attractiveness, possibly driven by the convergence of information from a variety of sources that extend beyond the domain of faces exclusively.

"Run for It!": Viewers' Participatory Responses to Film Narratives

Abstract: The authors suggest that, as people experience narratives, they often generate mental responses that parallel responses they make when participating in real-world events. In 2 experiments, they used a think-aloud procedure to explore the range of such participatory responses that participants generated while viewing film excerpts. In Experiment 1, participants viewed film excerpts with sympathetic and unsympathetic characters. The authors used viewers’ responses to construct a taxonomy of participatory responses. In Experiment 2, they provided evidence that participatory responses are sensitive to narrative context. They manipulated the level of suspense for excerpts by providing or withholding information about potential negative outcomes and found that viewers generated more participatory responses during suspenseful than nonsuspenseful film excerpts. The authors propose that participatory responses play an important role in how people experience narratives and should be included within theories of narrative comprehension.

Heightened Incidence of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Involved in the Arts

Abstract: Studies have shown a higher than average incidence of mental illness in adult artists. We asked whether an association between symptoms of affective disorders and the arts is found as early as adolescence, using a sample of 2,482 15- to 16-year-old adolescents. Teens involved in afterschool arts had higher depressive symptom scores than those not involved, and the association between arts involvement and depressive symptoms held only for those scoring above the median in working memory test scores. We consider reasons for these findings, including the possibility that shared cognitive vulnerabilities may underlie both the depressive symptoms and increased arts practice, and that cognitive resources (working memory) facilitate the adaptive use of these vulnerabilities.

Expressive Suppression and Acting Classes

Abstract: Frequent use of expressive suppression to regulate one’s emotions can impair long-term health and well-being for both children and adults. Therefore, there are important pragmatic benefits to identifying contexts in which individuals learn to avoid expressive suppression. We hypothesized that individuals involved in acting classes—a context in which expression of emotion is highly valued—may use expressive suppression as an emotion regulation technique less than do other individuals. Study 1 showed that adolescents majoring in acting at a high school for the arts used suppression less than did adolescents majoring in other kinds of art classes (visual arts, music). Study 2 showed that after 10 months of acting (but not visual arts) classes, expressive suppression decreased in elementary school-age children. These findings suggest that experience in acting may be associated with a decrease in the use of expressive suppression, a relatively maladaptive emotion regulation strategy.

See me, feel me! Aesthetic evaluations of art portraits.

Abstract: Liking Emotional valence Estimate SE pMCMC Estimate SE pMCMC Intercept 0.387 0.150 .006 2.000 0.159 .000 Expertise 0.046 0.213 .814 0.558 0.212 .008 Liking — — — 0.243 0.029 .000 Emotional valence 0.276 0.031 .000 — — — Familiarity 0.027 0.017 .115 0.005 0.017 .777 Likability 0.194 0.024 .000 0.265 0.023 .000 Style appreciation 0.619 0.021 .000 0.112 0.028 .000 Expertise Emotional Valence 0.086 0.041 .036 — — — Expertise Liking — — — 0.026 0.041 .534 Expertise Familiarity 0.011 0.050 .803 0.107 0.049 .029 Expertise Likability 0.040 0.034 .253 0.040 0.033 .248 Expertise Style Appreciation 0.042 0.029 .140 0.103 0.040 .010 Note. We present separate analyses for only naturalistic or abstract artworks. T hi s do cu m en t is co py ri gh te d by th e A m er ic an Ps yc ho lo gi ca l A ss oc ia tio n or on e of its al lie d pu bl is he rs . T hi s ar tic le is in te nd ed so le ly fo r th e pe rs on al us e of th e in di vi du al us er an d is no t to be di ss em in at ed br oa dl y. 9 ART PORTRAIT APPRECIATION T7 tapraid5/aca-aca/aca-aca/aca00313/aca0317d13z xppws S 1 6/18/13 22:29 Art: 2011-0465 APA NLM

Stability of Art Preference in Frontotemporal Dementia

Abstract: We examined aesthetic preference for reproductions of paintings among frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, in two sessions separated by 2 weeks. The artworks were in three different styles: representational, quasirepresentational, and abstract. Stability of preference for the paintings was equivalent to that shown by a matched group of Alzheimer’s disease patients and a group of healthy controls drawn from an earlier study. We expected that preference for representational art would be affected by disruptions in language processes in the FTD group. However, this was not the case and the FTD patients, despite severe language processing deficits, performed similarly across all three art styles. These data show that FTD patients maintain a sense of aesthetic appraisal despite cognitive impairment and should be amenable to therapies and enrichment activities involving art.

Musician–instrument relationship as a candidate index for professional well-being in musicians.

Abstract: Most musicians express a close relationship with their musical instrument. Some even consider their instrument as a part of themselves, this type of relationship being anecdotally considered an advantageous one. A questionnaire survey on this relevant topic was conducted among 320 musicians. The musicians chose between one of the 4 proposed relationship types and completed questionnaires related to factors such as musical background, health aspects, mental distress symptoms, social phobia, music performance anxiety, and coping. The authors’ results confirmed that feeling united with one’s instrument is an advantageous relationship. Furthermore, they showed that there are further differences in aspects of professional well-being between musicians who identified themselves differently with their musical instrument. This musician–instrument relationship can, therefore, be considered a candidate index for professional well-being in musicians.

Changes in painting styles of two artists with Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: A substantial body of literature supports the idea that systematic changes can occur in artists’ painting styles after the onset of degenerating neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease or Fronto-temporal dementia. However, these studies have typically been descriptive and qualitative in their analyses. Our study was motivated to show that quantitative methods can be applied to the neuropsychology of art production and to determine whether there are systematic changes in the art produced by two individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using the Assessment of Art Attributes which probes 6 formal characteristics (depth, color temperature, color saturation, balance, stroke, and simplicity) and 6 conceptual characteristics (depictive accuracy, abstractness, emotion, symbolism, realism, and animacy), we found that both AD patients produced paintings with more abstraction and use of symbolism and with less depictive accuracy and realism. Their paintings did not change in the use of depth, or balance or in the quality of their stroke. When these observations are combined with those made recently in 3 artists with focal brain damage, we find that conceptual more than formal perceptual attributes are susceptible to change after neurological illness.