Contextualizing information enhances the experience of environmental art

Bibliographic Data

ID21832006
AuthorsEllis Keller (0000-0003-4478-0400, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences), Laura Sommer, Laura Kim Sommer (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Christian Andreas Klöckner (0000-0003-4510-1748, Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Daniel Hanss (0000-0001-6692-3316, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences)
Year2020
Volume14
Issue3
Pages264-275
Publication date2020-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychology of Aesthetics Creativity and the Arts (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1931-3896 • E-ISSN: 1931-390X
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/aca0000213
OpenAlexW2910580710
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited26

Environmentally themed art is increasingly addressed in research as a means to raise awareness of environmental problems and motivate proenvironmental behavior. However, as researchers begin to systematically study environmental art, influencing factors must be addressed—for example, the effect of presenting contextualizing information. In the present study, 123 participants saw an environmental artwork with or without contextualizing information in a between-subjects design and rated the artwork on various variables regarding its aesthetic value and proenvironmental impact. Additionally, eye movement was recorded using mobile eye-tracking glasses to gain insight into the visual processing of the artwork. The results showed that information presentation increased personal meaning, which was in turn associated with increased liking, interest, and emotional responses. The average duration of fixations was shorter for participants in the information group, indicating easier processing possibly due to the guidance of the provided information. However, information had no effects on participants’ proenvironmental intentions and behavior. Taken together, the results strongly suggest that both researchers and practitioners should be taking the effect of contextualizing information into account when exhibiting environmental art, because it can impact a variety of relevant factors

Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Geography · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Animal and Plant Science Education · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Environmental Science

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access