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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials
Published on: January 11, 2020
Live theatre as exception and test case for experiencing negative emotions in art
1Department of Psychology,George Mason University,Fairfax,VA 22030.tgoldste@gmu.eduhttp://psychology.gmu.edu/people/tgoldste.
Abstract:
Distancing and then embracing constitutes a useful way of thinking about the paradox of aesthetic pleasure. However, the model does not account for live theatre. When live actors perform behaviors perceptually close to real life and possibly really experienced by the actors, audiences may experience autonomic reactions, with less distance, or may have to distance post-experiencing/embracing their emotions.
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