Can art promote understanding? A review of the psychology and neuroscience of aesthetic cognitivism

Aesthetic cognitivism refers to the proposition that art promotes knowledge and understanding. Despite its intuitive appeal, few empirical investigations have tested the validity of this philosophical claim. In our review, we outline prior arguments for and against aesthetic cognitivism. Then, with a focus on visual art, we discuss how empirical aesthetics and neuroscience can contribute to conversations about aesthetic cognitivism. We propose that engagement, broadly defined as the ongoing thoughts, feelings, and actions of a person in response to viewing an artwork, is necessary to acquire new knowledge and understanding, describe motivational states associated with learning, and posit who is most likely to experience these states to gain knowledge and understanding from art. Throughout the article, we discuss how, when, and what knowledge derived from engagement might be measured and modeled. By grounding aesthetic cognitivism in empirical aesthetics, researchers can generate and test hypotheses about art’s role in promoting knowledge and understanding. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)