The Science of Arts Engagement: Redefining Audience Research Through Psychobiological Studies of Arts Experiences

This book responds to the urgent need to develop new ways of studying audience engagement with the arts in times of rapid technological and societal changes. Integrating humanities, natural sciences, and applied research approaches, the book proposes new methods of arts engagement research. It focuses on audience experiences of engagement, branching out engagement from the facilitation of arts involvement and audience development. The book presents a mixed-methods study of the signs of engagement in audience physiology (heart rate and skin conductance), audience reflections and contextual influence of the artworks. The exploration of the dynamics of audience experiences during two virtual reality (VR) art projects demonstrates engagement processes as adaptable. The results suggest that there is no "best" way to engage with the arts, but rather a range of engagement variants, which – depending on the context – stretch from relaxed alertness to high arousal. The book offers fresh perspectives, questions established audience studies and broader conventions, and opens new agendas that reach beyond disciplinary borders. This volume will resonate with audience scholars, arts practitioners, cultural policymakers, and researchers in psychology, neuroscience, empirical aesthetics, and VR.