Do art lovers lead happier and even healthier lives? Investigating the psychological and physical benefits of savoring art.

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that engaging in art activities is beneficial to both psychological and physical well-being; however, few studies have examined the link between attitudes toward art and well-being. In the present study, we have termed a positive and appreciative attitude toward art as savoring art and have investigated the relationship between savoring art and individual well-being. Study 1 (N = 501) examined the associations between savoring art and psychological well-being (PWB) as well as subjective well-being (SWB), the two most widely used terms for meaningful and hedonic happiness, respectively. The results suggested that savoring art was linked to a greater level of both PWB and SWB. Furthermore, Study 2 (N = 144) demonstrated that savoring art correlated with reduced biological health risk, as measured by objective biomarkers for inflammation and hypertension. The results from the present study highlight the potential psychological and physical benefits of savoring art, regardless of individuals' socioeconomic condition, level of openness to experience, or art engagement frequency.

When the painting meets its musical inspiration: The impact of multimodal art experience on aesthetic enjoyment and subjective well-being in the museum.

“…Regarding well-being, we found that people who are more interested or more aesthetically responsive had a larger improvement in mood as well as less mental fatigue after the visit. As previous findings on individual characteristics and well-being outcomes were mixed (Binnie, 2010; Lee et al, 2021), future studies are needed to replicate our findings and to further investigate the link between individual characteristics and positive outcomes of art experiences. Though we did not test this link directly, these results are in line with the argument that these effects are mediated by enhanced aesthetic experience (Trupp et al, 2023).…”

University students' academic grit and academic achievements predicted by subjective well‐being, coping resources, and self‐cultivation characteristics

“…To measure how much participants enjoyed and cherished art in their daily lives, we used Lee et al's (2021) savouring art questionnaire. The scale is based on six items related to art from the openness to experience scale (based on DeYoung et al, 2007) on a 7‐point Likert‐scale ranging from (1) Not at all to (7) Very much , (e.g., ‘I enjoy the beauty of art’.)…”

“…However, unlike arts engagement, the attitude towards art, known as savouring art, is the degree to which one enjoys and appreciates art in their daily lives, the attitude and need for an artistic experience (Lee et al, 2021). Lee et al (2021) based an operational definition for this concept on selected items related to art from the openness to experience scale (DeYoung et al, 2007), and found that savouring art was linked to a greater level of SWB and low biological health risk, as measured by objective biomarkers for inflammation and hypertension.…”

“…According to early studies of the Big‐5 model of personality traits, personal growth was linked to openness to experience (Ryff, 2014; Schmutte & Ryff, 1997) and to savouring art (Lee et al, 2021). Previous research showed that arts engagement had beneficial effects for both mental health and well‐being (Drake, 2019; Wang et al, 2020).…”

“…It was suggested that this could be due to multiple mechanisms, including arts activities enhancing resilience, facilitating self‐esteem and self‐efficacy (Franklin, 1992; Kuper et al, 2022; Wang et al, 2020; Zarobe & Bungay, 2017), promoting social support (Cohen, 2006), and coping skills (Hutchinson et al, 2003; Perkins et al, 2016). However, unlike arts engagement, the attitude towards art, known as savouring art, is the degree to which one enjoys and appreciates art in their daily lives, the attitude and need for an artistic experience (Lee et al, 2021). Lee et al (2021) based an operational definition for this concept on selected items related to art from the openness to experience scale (DeYoung et al, 2007), and found that savouring art was linked to a greater level of SWB and low biological health risk, as measured by objective biomarkers for inflammation and hypertension.…”