Generating and Receiving Contextualized Interpretations of Figurative Sculptures

Abstract

The primary goal of the experiment was to examine whether emotional and intellectual responses to sculptures increase or decrease over time. A second purpose was to explore the effects on these ratings of generating or receiving accounts of what was happening in these scenes. Seventy-two subjects viewed four groups of figurative sculptures in a public gallery and rated them twice on nine 7-point scales. They generated interpretations for two sculptures and received interpretations for two others between the first and second ratings. Results showed that emotional responses predominated during the initial encounter, while intellectual activity was more significant in the second one. Generating interpretations reduced the tendency for emotional impact and perceived originality to diminish over time. A qualitative analysis suggested four kinds of written interpretations; objectifying, personalizing, universalizing, and metaphorizing.