Psychology Of Art Research Articles

Generative Models for the Psychology of Art and Aesthetics

This paper describes how computational generative models can describe aspects of the artistic process, and how these generative models can provide tools for formulating and testing psychological theories of art. The term “generative models” here refers to algorithms that can generate artistic imagery, video, text, or other artistic media, including techniques developed in both computer graphics and AI research. Generative models can both describe artistic processes and offer useful experimental tools. This paper first outlines different ways to understand the types of research in generative models. It then surveys several recent examples of using generative models to develop theories and to perform experiments. The paper then discusses misleading uses of the concept of “AI-generated art” in psychological studies, and the need for study of our relationship with new artistic technologies. Finally, the paper offers a few remarks on pursuing interdisciplinary research across psychology and computer graphics.

The Painting of Dreams: An Effective Expression of Reality

This paper discusses, from the perspectives of aesthetics and psychology of literature and art, how artists can effectively express reality through dreams in their paintings. The discussion primarily revolves around several key questions. On one hand, it explores why artists choose dreams as a subject for their creations, why dreams represent a form of reality, and why paintings should also express reality. On the other hand, it acknowledges that while dreams can serve as an intuitive visual representation, they often feature absurd and chaotic scenarios. This paper aims to help art practitioners see the psychological logic of dreams in order to find the truth deep within their hearts. It also discusses how using dreams as a subject can visually present reality and emotionally resonate with the audience.

The Enlightenment Significance and Value Function of Aesthetic Psychological Structure Theory to Contemporary Aesthetic Education

In today's quality education, aesthetic education has become an important subject of modern education. Combined with the practice of aesthetic education, this paper discusses the nature, function, process and method of the construction of aesthetic psychology comprehensively. Using the "intermediary" of aesthetic psychological structure, cultivate and improve students 'aesthetic imagination, as the key point and breakthrough of aesthetic education teaching, and improve students' aesthetic psychological structure, so as to create a new situation of "hard teaching" into "happy teaching" and "hard learning" into "happy learning". The paper discusses the internal relationship between aesthetic education and the construction of aesthetic psychology. Only when the aesthetic psychological structure of the learning subject is constantly improved, the power of aesthetics will gradually emerge. In the construction of aesthetic psychology, the learning subject can be self-shaping, self-perfection until self-realization. Through aesthetic education to change people's way of thinking, create the comprehensive and harmonious development of human beings, teach people how to have the ability to appreciate and create beauty, and at the same time is closely related to everyone's aesthetic psychological structure. Therefore, aesthetic education is actually the educational process of how to construct people's aesthetic psychological structure at a higher level. Therefore, the aesthetic psychological structure is a very important concept, which not only affects the improvement of individual aesthetic ability, but also has enlightening significance on how to conduct aesthetic education. It is the most fundamental task and purpose to promote students to construct their own aesthetic psychological structure and improve the national quality.

FILSAFAT TARI DALAM KEBUDAYAAN BALI

Balinese dance is an ethnic Balinese dance that is imbued with Balinese Hindu cultural values, as an embodiment of Balinese cultural character. The characteristics of Balinese culture are socio-religious which contains its own philosophy which can be categorized as sacred art and profane art. With the categories sacred and profane, Balinese dance is classified into wali, bebali and balih-balihan arts. As a sacred art, Balinese dance is a treat of beauty to the forces of nature, and as a profane art, it is a treat of beauty to society. This article aims to understand the philosophy of dance in relation to Balinese culture which is based on Hindu religious teachings. The problem that is the main subject of the study to explain this goal is, what is meant by Balinese dance, and what is its relationship with Balinese culture. The study of the problems above is based on the results of observations of Balinese dance which were analyzed using the approach of art philosophy and aesthetic theory which is divided into morphological aesthetics and psychological aesthetics. The results of this study show that Balinese dance contains a philosophy of life that is imbued with the teachings of Balinese Hinduism in realizing truth and purity aesthetically

Art Works of Youth Aesthetic Psychology Education Based on the Integration of Environmental Perception and Sensing

Youth aesthetic psychology is mainly a branch of psychology that studies the psychological mechanism of people in painting, sculpture, photography, architecture and other art activities, and the psychological activities and laws of people in the creation or appreciation of these art works. Psychologists in the Soviet Union believed that the most basic problem of Youth aesthetic psychology was to study the psychological mechanism of the reaction to beauty when feeling art works. Therefore, we can also regard the appreciation of art works as an aesthetic activity. We can appreciate art works by studying the application and role of Youth aesthetic psychology, so that art appreciators can master aesthetic methods and improve aesthetic standards to a certain extent, and also can deeply resonate with the creator in spirit. This paper carries out the research of Youth aesthetic psychology art works with the perspective of environmental perception and sensor fusion, and combined with experiments to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of this method.

The Influence of CG Technology on The Aesthetics of Chinese Magic Films Take The Candle in The Tomb Film Series for Example

This study aims to investigate the impact of computer-generated imagery (CG) on the aesthetic context and innovation of oriental gods and creatures in Chinese magical film footage. This study focuses on the analysis and research of CG technology in Chinese magical film lens images, as well as the aesthetic habits and aesthetic psychology of contemporary audiences towards oriental gods and creatures. This research employs a qualitative research approach because it is appropriate for examining the cultural background and aesthetic habits of Chinese magical film lens images created using CG technology, as well as the aesthetic emotions that the film evokes in its audience. This study specifically examines the aesthetic expression and breakthrough innovation of oriental gods and monsters in the CG screen effects of the film series Candle In The Tomb, as well as the operation process of Chinese magical film CG technology and its expression based on and the generative context and breakthrough innovation of oriental gods' aesthetic style. This study will provide a theory of the CG technology used to guide the visual aesthetics of Chinese fantasy films. It will benefit creators of Chinese magic films, researchers, academicians, students, and those interested in the subject's study and preservation.

The unexplored territory of aesthetic needs and the development of the Aesthetic Needs Scale.

Human needs, and their fulfillment, are the building blocks of human development, personality, and well-being. However, no published paper in the field of psychology has focused on exploring aesthetic needs. Maslow (1986) gave the topic little more than a paragraph; and Dweck [1], in her elegant Unified Theory of Motivation, Personality, and Development, never mentions aesthetic needs. The aim of this article is to describe developing a scale for measuring the intensity of aesthetic needs. The structure, psychometric properties, and criterion-related validity of the scale were verified with three independent samples (total N = 592). The results of an EFA and two CFAs indicated a three-factor structure: 1) the need to aestheticize everyday life (aesthetic experiences of everyday objects and events unrelated to art, such as the presentation of food or the appearance of a workspace, etc.); 2) the need for contact with aesthetic creations (the arts); 3) the need to aestheticize the built and natural environments (urban spaces, architecture, parks, wild nature, etc.). In addition, our criterion-related convergent validity studies have shown that people with high aesthetic needs are characterized by experiencing more intense experiences in contact with works of art, have higher aesthetic competence in art, are more intensely involved in four forms of beauty, have a higher ability to integrate beauty, a stronger trait gratitude, curiosity about nature, greater sensitivity to disgust, and the need for internal and external stimulation. This scale may prove useful in research on individual differences and the psychology of aesthetics.

Research on the Relationship between Jiannan West Jiedushi and Buddhism in the Mid to Late Tang Dynasty

This article comprehensively explores the relationship between Xichuan Jiedushi and Buddhism during the mid to late Tang Dynasty through a comprehensive investigation of internal and external classics, Buddhist relics, and field survey data, following the traditional cataloging method of seeking books based on categories and studying studies based on books. Jiedushi was not only the provincial governor during the middle and late Tang Dynasty, but also a synonym of a local administrative district. The predecessor of the Jiannan West Jiedushi, Jiannan Jiedushi, was one of the earliest Jiedushi established in the Tang Dynasty. Due to its developed economy and close proximity to the Guanzhong area, Jiannan West became an exceedingly important region of Tang Dynasty. Thus its significance was evident. At the same time, the flourishing of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty reached its peak, affecting all fields. Under the influence of Buddhism, the bureaucrats and scholars generally worshipped Buddhism, among which included all the Jiannan West Jiedushi. In addition, under the bureaucratic system of Tang Dynasty, most Jiannan West Jiedushi were literary giants, which had significant influence on the formation and development of Chengdu's urban culture in the middle to late Tang Dynasty. Especially in religious activities, they extensively participated in the interaction between Confucianism and Buddhism, and treated famous monks with civility. And during their tenure, they either donated funds to build temples, or converted their residences into temples, or ordained people as monks. They fully supported the development of Buddhism, which not only united people in Jiannan West, but also indirectly stabilized the Tang Dynasty's rule of Jiannan West. This article comprehensively considers the background of the times, the intervention of political rights, the interaction of social classes, and the customs of life. At the same time, it refers to the influence of local officials represented by the Xichuan Jiedushi on religious philosophy, aesthetic psychology, cultural arts, sculpture, and other factors during this period, in order to objectively and comprehensively depict the Buddhism of Bashu in the middle and late Tang Dynasty.

Recent Trends in Creativity Research: An Analysis of Keywords in Four Prominent Creativity Journals

ABSTRACT Although there have been several analyses of creativity scholarship and its changing emphases over time, these patterns and their trajectory over time have not been analyzed at a journal-by-journal level. Yet creativity journals are not interchangeable, and understanding how they differentially cover core topics can offer insight into the growing field of creativity studies. This study analyzed the listed keywords for articles published in four major creativity journals based on fifty coded thematic areas. Overall, education/K-12, creative problem-solving/creative cognition, research methodology, analytic thinking/reasoning, and cognitive flexibility/divergent thinking were the most common keyword themes. Several differences in the twenty most common keywords emerged across the four journals; some were expected (e.g. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts was high on aesthetics/psychology of art and Thinking Skills and Creativity was high in education/K-12) and others were not (e.g. Journal of Creative Behavior was high on creative products/outcomes and Creativity Research Journal was high on business/organizations). Regression analyses revealed several weak keyword trends across time (e.g. increases in research methodology and creative self/self-beliefs). Together, these results provide researchers a view of what has been recently been published in the field and how specific journals vary, albeit with the caveat that journal leadership often changes.

Empathic Space in Henry James's "The Jolly Corner"

Abstract: This essay explores the spatial dynamics in James's short story "The Jolly Corner," arguing for the existence of a non-material or so-called empathic space generated by characters' physical and mental movements within the material and mental/imagined spaces of the storyworld. This cognitive literary analysis of "empathic spaces" in James's fiction draws on empathy's embodied and spatial nature rooted in the origins of empathy in German psychological aesthetics and experimental psychology of the early twentieth century. The essay highlights how Jamesian spaces function as experimental sites of intersubjective and empathic experience.

Issues of artistic creativity in the aspect of performing activity

Relevance. Art has a great impact on the cultural development of both society and the individual. The ability to understand and accept the product of artistic activity is an important feature of a modern person. Consideration of the problems of the embodiment of creativity through performing activities will bring the perception of creativity to a new more conscious level. In addition, the introduction to this work will be useful for representatives of performing and authoring activities, for more fruitful cooperation. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the psychology of the issues of artistic creativity for certain types of performing activities. The allocation of individual types of activities will allow a more detailed and conscious approach to the consideration of the issue. Methodology. The method of scientific analysis and psychological modelling is used. The analysis of theoretical scientific literature on psychology, philosophy, and the history of the issue was carried out. Results. The article describes the problems of artistic creativity for each of the selected types of performing activities: for musicians, instrumental and vocal performers, conductors, dancers, actors, directors and readers. The analysis of the results of this article and the works on this topic by Russian researchers has shown that in Russian practice more attention is paid to the theoretical part of the question. World research, based on a theoretical basis, is aimed at empirical research on the practical psychology of the creative and performing process. Conclusions. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of the issues of artistic creativity and, as a result, their reduction. Based on the identified complex and particular issues of performers, a method is proposed to reduce the negative impact of external factors. Keywords: the psychology of art; musicology; aesthetic disciplines; author's idea; the embodiment of the work

Toward Embodied Defamiliarization: Immersion, Predictive Processing, and Anna Kavan’s Ice

ABSTRACT In an attempt to further develop debates at the intersection of cognitive and unnatural narratology, the article argues in favor of a framework for capturing immersion–defamiliarization interaction in narratives, which involves the possibility of defamiliarization being an embodied phenomena that does not adversely affect immersion. The article argues that when framing scalar models of the immersion–defamiliarization axis in embodied predictive processing and in the psychology of art, defamiliarization can in some cases take an embodied form, which does not obstruct immersion. The argument is developed with three interrelated claims showcasing that immersion requires some degree of defamiliarization in the first place, that stylistic features, far from being transparent, can mitigate defamiliarization effects in unnatural narratives and sustain immersion because of emotional charge, and those reflective or critical attitudes associated with defamiliarization can take a form of intuitions and sensations, remaining embodied rather than distanced and cerebral. The article illustrates this point by analyzing Anna Kavan’s avant-garde novel Ice, which is both a staple of unnatural narratives and unusual for its immersive capacities.

Transdisciplinary solutions to methodological and ethical problems in performing arts psychology.

In the first part of this article, I argue that transdisciplinary research can help address both the WEIRD problem of homogenous samples and the categorical problem of overgeneralized practice conceptions in performing arts psychology. Like other areas of performance science, performing arts psychology engages with practices and practice-based knowledge that are studied differently by subject-specific disciplines. I propose a transdisciplinary research model that facilitates greater overlap and transfer between the scientific, subject-specific, and practice-based forms of research and knowledge that surround a practice. The potential benefits of such a model are more inclusive samples, diversified methods, grounded research questions, and widely applicable results. The problems mentioned above are also ethical. Psychological definitions of performance that derive from overgeneralized conceptions and overreliance on homogenous samples are transferred to diverse peoples, practices, and contexts as general knowledge. This fails to apply principles of equity and relational ethics, which in turn reveals some limitations of established ethics procedures. In the second section of this article, I therefore revisit my argument for transdisciplinary research, now with a focus on the triad of research ethics that is brought into a transdisciplinary project through the different priorities of scientific, subject-specific, and practice-based research domains; namely, procedural ethics, relational ethics, and principles of equity. Transdisciplinary researchers are not only negotiating across methodological paradigms that determine research validity, they are also negotiating across ethical values. Combining the two sections of the article, I argue that the challenge of negotiation can be flipped into a solution to the WEIRD and practice conception problems in performing arts psychology. I argue that whereas critical calls for radical departures were needed to identify these problems, solutions are available in bridges between different ethical and methodological approaches.

Embracing beauty through leftward movements: An ERP study on metaphorical association between hand actions and aesthetic judgments

In this study, we examined the metaphorical association between aesthetic judgments of faces and horizontal hand movements as well as their cognitive neural mechanisms using a joint categorical response task. In the “aesthetic-action” metaphorical representation situation, participants were asked to classify beautiful/ugly faces by moving the mouse to the left or the right. The results showed that the joint categorization condition “judge beautiful-move mouse left, judge ugly-move mouse right” had a shorter reaction time than the “judge beautiful-move mouse right, judge ugly-move mouse left” condition, which was accompanied by larger amplitudes of the early component N170, EPN, and the late component P300. Combining the behavioral and event-related potentials (ERPs) results, the present study demonstrated a metaphorical association between horizontal hand actions and aesthetic judgments. It suggested that horizontal hand actions can affect the speed of aesthetic judgments by influencing processing fluency, emotional arousal level, categorization motivation, and attentional resources. These findings provide new perspectives to better understand the cognitive process of aesthetic judgments and provide a basis for applying embodied cognition and metaphor theory to the field of aesthetic psychology.

Neurocognitive Models of Aesthetic Perception of Painting: Possibilities, Limitations and Prospects

This article features one of the main trends in the development of neuroaesthetics and cognitive psychology of art, a systematic description of the mechanisms of aesthetic perception expressed in the creation of models. The paper analyzes six models of varying specification and capacity of extrapolating to other types of art. These are the following models: the neural network model, the neuropsychological model, the model of aesthetic perception of painting, the model of the intentions of the artist, the combined model of visual aesthetic experience, the model of aesthetic assessment and aesthetic judgments, and the Vienna integrated model of the processes of perception of art “top-down” and “bottom-up”. The possibilities and limitations of each model are considered according to such parameters as: the dynamics of aesthetic perception, the description of complex intermodal art forms, the extrapolation to different types of art, the measurement of aesthetic experience, the consideration of the interaction between the characteristics of the stimulus and the viewer, the detail of the esthetic experience description, the suitability for mathematical modeling. The most promising according to these criteria are the model of aesthetic assessment and aesthetic judgments, and the Vienna integrated model of the processes of perception of art “top-down” and “bottom-up”. In addition, the article provides an overview of existing approaches and research programs for modeling aesthetic experience. The paradigm of predictive processing (based on Bayesian inference) is considered as one of the most promising research programs. The key difficulties of modeling aesthetic experience are the lack of a unified research paradigm that includes a common understanding of the process of aesthetic perception and tools for its fixation, difficulties in formalizing and quantifying high-level components of aesthetic experience (expectations, schemes, experience, the viewer's “self”, etc.) and its continuity.

Translation of the Shanghai School Exhibition: Re-establishing Evocative Resonance and Situational Context

The Shanghai School (海上画派), a style of Chinese art present in the late 19th century and centered in Shanghai, is the witness and contributor to the advancement of modern Chinese art, embodying all the facts and specimens from that time, and regards the process of Chinese painting from ancient to unique and distinct style as the corresponding modernization. Inspired by the translation project of the grand opening exhibition of Cheng Shifa Art Museum, this paper discusses how to reestablish evocative resonance and situational context in the translation process. Guided by the aesthetics of translation and the psychology of art, the translators try to reemerge the context, connotation, artistry, and creativity of the works of the exhibition in the Chinese-English translations, and to reach the dialogue between the audience and the artists featuring bilingual compatibility, emotional connection, and aesthetic isomorphism.

Aesthetics and predictive processing: grounds and prospects of a fruitful encounter.

In the last few years, a remarkable convergence of interests and results has emerged between scholars interested in the arts and aesthetics from a variety of perspectives and cognitive scientists studying the mind and brain within the predictive processing (PP) framework. This convergence has so far proven fruitful for both sides: while PP is increasingly adopted as a framework for understanding aesthetic phenomena, the arts and aesthetics, examined under the lens of PP, are starting to be seen as important windows into our mental functioning. The result is a vast and fast-growing research programme that promises to deliver important insights into our aesthetic encounters as well as a wide range of psychological phenomena of general interest. Here, we present this developing research programme, describing its grounds and highlighting its prospects. We start by clarifying how the study of the arts and aesthetics encounters the PP picture of mental functioning (§1). We then go on to outline the prospects of this encounter for the fields involved: philosophy and history of art (§2), psychology of aesthetics and neuroaesthetics (§3) and psychology and neuroscience more generally (§4). The upshot is an ambitious but well-defined framework within which aesthetics and cognitive science can partner up to illuminate crucial aspects of the human mind. This article is part of the theme issue 'Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives'.

Metaphors or mechanism? Predictive coding and a (brief) history of empirical study of the arts.

Predictive processing (PP) offers an intriguing approach to perception, cognition, but also to appreciation of the arts. It does this by positing both a theoretical basis-one might say a 'metaphor'-for how we engage and respond, placing emphasis on mismatches rather than fluent overlap between schema and environment. Even more, it holds the promise for translating metaphor into neurobiological bases, suggesting a means for considering mechanisms-from basic perceptions to possibly even our complex, aesthetic experiences. However, while we share the excitement of this promise, the history of empirical or psychological aesthetics is also permeated by metaphors that have progressed our understanding but which also tend to elude translation into concrete, mechanistic operationalization-a challenge that can also be made to PP. We briefly consider this difficulty of convincing implementation of PP via a brief historical outline of some developments in the psychological study of aesthetics and art in order to show how these ideas have often anticipated PP but also how they have remained at the level of rather metaphorical and difficult-to-measure concepts. Although theoretical in scope, we hope that this commentary will spur researchers to reflect on PP with the aim of translating metaphorical explanations into well-defined mechanisms in future empirical study. This article is part of the theme issue 'Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives'.

Who is afraid of Hermy and Jimmy? Relating to and normalizing psychosis through theater.

Psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices that others do not hear, being afraid of threats that others do not perceive, or believing in ideas that others find implausible can be confusing for those who face them and challenging to relate to for those who do not, leading to alienation and social exclusion. The objective of this article is to discuss how immersion in theater can enhance our understanding of human nature and facilitate a social environment that supports the recovery of individuals with psychosis. Drawing on theories of the psychology of art and narrative psychology, this conceptual article discusses a theatrical production, a play, titled "Voices," created by a person with lived experience of voice hearing. We apply Semenov's model of art as a social psychological system as a guiding framework to focus on the roles of the art product, artist-author, artist-performer, and recipient. Theater is a uniquely reciprocal art form where actors and spectators share emotional, intellectual, and cathartic experiences, which could foster interpersonal connection, personal growth, and empathy. This article brings new perspective on how theater can elucidate psychotic experiences, encourage dialogue about these experiences, and facilitate social integration and recovery of individuals living with psychosis. Theater can promote social change, making space for a wider range of perspectives in society. Engaging individuals with lived experiences of psychosis in theatrical productions could lead to new insights about and acceptance of psychotic experiences, both for these individuals and for society at large. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Personal Perspective on Psychology of Aesthetics and the Arts: Ecologically Valid, Interdisciplinary, and Diverse Methodologies

ABSTRACTIn this invited paper, my aim is to introduce the reader to my body of work by outlining where I think empirical aesthetics, and specifically the study of art, is moving or should be moving toward. I will introduce two main foci of my work: 1) studying art/aesthetics outside of the laboratory and in their “natural habitat,” i.e. doing ecologically valid studies (most commonly in the museum), and 2) methodological aspects of studying art/aesthetic experience in a broad sense: including theory, measurement, and analysis. As future directions, I see a shift toward investigating potential outcomes, as well as ensuring a stronger connection between theory and methodology by incorporating interdisciplinary approaches as well as using more advanced statistical modeling. My aim is to show not just what I have done in the past, but also how this shaped the work that I am currently doing as well as the direction that I see my work developing in and that I believe should be pursued, not just by me but by many others. I chose this format in order to be able to show how I think my work contributes to these developments and can, hopefully, also keep contributing in the future.