A psychological approach to the study of art. Examples of questions examined include: Can art be defined? How does art express emotion? Is “good” art just a matter of taste? How do people respond to art produced by AI? These topics and related others will be covered.
Athena Title
The Psychology of Art
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year. Offered fallOffered summer semester every odd-numbered year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have knowledge of the research methods with which psychologists study people’s reactions to art, including experiments, observational measures, self-reports, interviews, eye-tracking, brain imaging, and implicit measures.
By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of the scope of the topic—i.e., what the psychology of art can and can’t tell us.
By the end of the course, students will have learned about influential theories of the psychology of art.
By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of how the philosophy of art and the psychology of art converge and diverge.
By the end of the course, students will know how to critique and evaluate research on the psychology of art, and how to apply research findings to their own experiences with art—both as an appreciator and as a creator.
Topical Outline
Overview: Why do we like art? A brief history of ideas on aesthetics, art, beauty, and pleasure.
How can we tell it is art?
What does art make us feel and how? Why do we like art, music, and films that make us feel bad?
Neuroaesthetics: What happens in the brain when we are moved and/or feeling awe from visual art?
How do we make judgments about Art?
Artistic creativity: Are artists born or made?
Are successful artists more likely to suffer from mental illness?
Separating the art from the artist.
The social psychology of art: How society influences artists and how artists influence society.
Is art good for us? Assessing the effects of art on intelligence and well-being.
