Research Proposal EOI — Neuroaesthetics and the Human Experience

Research Proposal

Neuroaesthetics and the Human Experience How design can impact our physiology & psycho physiology

Rosalie Rachael Volker

Abstract:

This research proposal seeks to delve into the realm of neuroesthetics and multi-sensory perception to understand how the role design plays in aesthetic experiences and understand how aesthetic experiences can impact our physiology. It aims to develop a comprehensive methodology that outlines how tactile and visual stimuli can impact emotion, physical health, and the overall human experience. By incorporating immersive experiments, biometric and qualitative studies, this research aims to establish a framework that harnesses aesthetics for promoting wellbeing and transforming human experiences.

This work will aim to answer these three fundamental questions:

What design interventions can be leveraged to create aesthetic experiences?
What aesthetic senses can have the greatest impact on our physiological and/or psycho-physiological health?
Can aesthetic experiences impact our health long-term? Do design driven aesthetic experiences have the power to transform the human experience?
What methodologies can be leveraged to better measure and understand physiological and psychophysical effects of aesthetic experiences?

Introduction:

Neuroesthetics, at the intersection of cognitive science and aesthetics, explores how the brain and body perceives and responds to aesthetic experiences. The sensory dimensions of neuroaesthetics often focus on visual perception, neglecting other senses' contributions to aesthetic experiences. This research proposal seeks to expand the traditional understanding of neuroesthetics by incorporating multiple sensory perceptions—touch, sight, and proprioception—as vital elements shaping aesthetic and human experience.

Research Goals:

Synthesize current research and literature on neuroaesthetics, designed experiences, cognitive science, and related fields.
Create a series of stimuli and experiments that focus on activating aesthetic senses while measuring the physiological and psychophysical responses through both objective and subjective methods.
Create a framework that harnesses the potential of multi-sensory neuroaesthetics and their impact on the human experience.

Literature Review:

Existing literature in neuroaesthetics predominantly focuses on visual aesthetics, acknowledging the brain and body’s response to visual stimuli, art, and beauty. However, recent studies have emphasized the significance of multisensory experiences in aesthetic perception. For instance, Gallace and Spence (2010) highlighted the influence of touch on aesthetic experiences, while Haans and IJsselsteijn (2006) emphasized the role of proprioception in augmenting visual perception. Furthermore, research by Sarlegna (2006) established the link between aesthetic experiences and wellbeing, emphasizing the potential of sensory-rich environments to enhance mental health.

In recent “Neuroimaging studies of aesthetic appraisal across four sensory modalities demonstrated that the most concordant area of activation across all modalities is the right anterior insula, an area typically associated with visceral perception.” (Brown et al., 2011). These areas are associated with reward processing, emotion regulation, and introspection.

Among these potential aesthetic senses, sense of touch, tactile feedback that occur through physical contact could be particularly impactful. Research has indicated that “Touch is one of the more powerful cognitive communication vehicles…touch rapidly changes our neurobiology and mental states of mind by releasing various transmitters among them oxytocin, which is attributed to feelings of trust, generosity, compassion, and lowered anxiety” (Magsamen, 2023)

Beyond touch, proprioception is another sense that has been largely overlooked as a potential aesthetic sense. “Proprioception is critical for body awareness, physical comfort, and the sense of self.” (Proske et al., 2012) It involves the perception of one's body, position, and movements, which is intertwined with the characteristics of materials, forms, and environment we engage with. Research indicates that disruptions in proprioceptive feedback can have physical implications and psychological effects. Understanding how various characteristics can influence proprioception will provide insights into enhancing physical experiences and emotional wellbeing.

In recent years researchers have found that “incorporating Neuroarchitecture could fulfill 4 pillars of human wellbeing: the physical, emotional, intellectual and social.” (Medhat, 2023) Indicating that space, object, form, and material, when integrated, have the potential to drastically alter an individual’s immediate psychophysical state but moreover may have the power to shape their lived experience. A study in the BMJ measured engagement “in the receptive arts and found that even experiencing art twice a year reduces mortality in the study’s 6,710 adults by 31%.” (Francourt, 2019) These two studies indicate that living in and engaging with aesthetic experiences may have a profound effect on our health.

Despite these insights, a holistic framework incorporating both visual and physical elements (ie. touch, haptics, and proprioceptive) and their impact on aesthetic perception remains under explored. This research aims to fill this gap by integrating empirical evidence and experiments to develop a comprehensive understanding of multisensory aesthetics and its implications for human wellbeing.

Research Objectives:

To synthesize existing literature: Analyze and synthesize key findings from psychological theories, creative perspectives, and neuroscientific and cognitive studies on aesthetic perception to create a comprehensive foundation.
To develop a multidimensional framework: Construct a framework that integrates touch, sight, and proprioception as aesthetic senses, elucidating their roles in material design and their impact on neural responses and wellbeing.
To conduct experiments: Design and execute experiments using advanced tracking technologies, behavioral assessments, and design interventions to examine responses to multisensory aesthetic stimuli and their impact on subjective wellbeing.
To explore implications: Investigate the application of multisensory aesthetics in design interventions aimed at enhancing our physiological and psychophysical experience with an emphasis on visual, touch, and proprioceptive senses by way of stimulus and sensory-rich experiments.

This research has the potential to objectively define how designed aesthetic experiences can impact the human condition. My hope is that this research will help elevate design and aesthetic experiences as an imperative to human health.

We can better understand the role of design in Neuro-aesthetics, by quantifying its impacts on the human experience. When defined, creatives will be better equipped to navigate aesthetic decisions, unlock funding, and effectively design for well-being.

Methodology:

Literature synthesis: Conduct an extensive review of relevant studies from neuroscience, cognitive science, creative theory, and wellbeing studies, synthesizing findings to inform hypotheses and design theory.
Framework development: Utilize the synthesized knowledge to develop a aesthetic framework that integrates visual and physical (ie touch, haptic, and proprioceptive) aesthetic senses, mapping their physiological and psychophysiological correlates.
Experimental design: Design experiments incorporating diverse aesthetic stimuli and their effect on human biology. These experiments will utilize both subjective data like surveys and objective data collected from newly accessible technologies and methods like ecg sensors, heart rate monitor, facial mapping to inform a complete view of the impact aesthetics have on participants. Experiments would be run and documented in a studio, lab, and/or exhibition space.
Conclusive Design interventions: From these findings, create a comprehensive framework and guide to design interventions that improve human health and positively impact the human experience.
Ethical Considerations: This research will adhere to ethical guidelines for human research. All participants will provide informed consent throughout the study. (See Bhandari, 2021) Ethical considerations will also be taken into account when selecting materials and design interventions to ensure they do not provoke unnecessary discomfort or harm to participants.

Expected Outcomes:

A comprehensive framework: Development of a framework that explores how design can be leveraged to create aesthetic experiences.
Validation through empirical evidence: Empirical support through biometric experiments validating the framework, revealing biological responses to multisensory aesthetic stimuli and their influence on subjective well being.
Design implications for wellbeing: Identification of design strategies and interventions leveraging multisensory aesthetics to create enriching experiences that positively impact human wellbeing.

Conclusion:

This research aims to bridge the gap in between design and neuroaesthetics by elucidating the roles of touch, sight, and proprioception in material design, aesthetic perception, and wellbeing. By creating a multidimensional framework that focuses on the intersection and integration of aesthetic senses we can better understand neuroaesthetics and its potential to transform the human experience.

Works Cited:

Bhandari, Pritha. A Guide to Ethical Considerations in Research. 2021, www.scribbr.com/methodology/research-ethics. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

Brown, Steven. “Naturalizing Aesthetics: Brain Areas for Aesthetic Appraisal across Sensory Modalities.” NeuroImage, vol. 58, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2011, pp. 250–258, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811911006203?via%3Dihub, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.06.012. Accessed 20 Aug. 2021.

Fancourt, Daisy, and Andrew Steptoe. “The Art of Life and Death: 14 Year Follow-up Analyses of Associations between Arts Engagement and Mortality in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.” BMJ, vol. 367, 18 Dec. 2019, www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6377?ijkey=82c1c348ecb15d3a69fb472282dce28041907028&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6377.

Gallace, Alberto, and Charles Spence. “The Science of Interpersonal Touch: An Overview.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 34, no. 2, Feb. 2010, pp. 246–259, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763408001723, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.10.004.

MAGSAMEN, SUSAN, and IVY ROSS. YOUR BRAIN on ART : How the Arts Transform Us. [S.l.], RANDOM HOUSE, 2023.

Medhat Assem, Hala, et al. “Designing for Human Wellbeing: The Integration of Neuroarchitecture in Design – a Systematic Review.” Ain Shams Engineering Journal, vol. 14, no. 6, June 2023, p. 102102, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2022.102102.

Proske, Uwe, and Simon C. Gandevia. “The Proprioceptive Senses: Their Roles in Signaling Body Shape, Body Position and Movement, and Muscle Force.” Physiological Reviews, vol. 92, no. 4, Oct. 2012, pp. 1651–1697, journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00048.2011, https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00048.2011.

Ryan, Colleen P., et al. “The Interaction between Motion and Texture in the Sense of Touch.” Journal of Neurophysiology, vol. 126, no. 4, 1 Oct. 2021, pp. 1375–1390, https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00583.2020.

Sarlegna, Fabrice R., and Robert L. Sainburg. “The Roles of Vision and Proprioception in the Planning of Reaching Movements.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 629, 2009, pp. 317–335, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3709263/, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77064-2_16.