Publication
Personally significant forms of engagement in the arts and humanities in a representative sample of United States residents
Publisher:
Center for Open Science
Date:
13-10-2022
DOI:
10.31234/OSF.IO/VHQ5M
Abstract: The world over, people dedicate substantial time, effort, and resources to engaging in the arts and humanities (A& H). Such activities are believed to greatly enrich people’s lives. However, there is only a patchwork of research on if, when, how, and for whom this holds true. In a large, exploratory survey of 903 U.S. residents (nationally representative with respect to gender, age, race, income and region), participants provided descriptions of both (1) personally significant A& H-related discrete experiences (e.g., performing at a particular concert), and (2) personally significant everyday A& H-related recurrent activities (e.g., a longstanding guitar-playing hobby). Exploratory analyses addressed the following questions: What are the cognitive, affective, and situational features of discrete A& H experiences and recurrent A& H activities? What are the similarities and differences in A& H engagement across different A& H domains (e.g., music, history, etc.)? Finally, how does A& H engagement compare to non-A& H engagement (e.g., sports)? We found substantial heterogeneity across different A& H domains, and contexts of engagement, as well as a range of differences between the phenomenology of A& H-related and non-A& H experiences and activities. We synthesize these results to present a broad picture of the psychology of A& H engagement, laying the groundwork for focused investigations into mechanisms linking A& H engagement and well-being.