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Thinking eyes: visual thinking strategies and the social brain
Janneke E P van Leeuwen1,2, Sebastian J Crutch1, Jason D Warren1
1Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Psychology
|October 13, 2023
Summary
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) guide gaze toward social cues in art, influencing visual exploration. This pedagogical method measurably shapes how people view artworks, with implications for art education and therapy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Art Education
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The social brain's role in art perception is crucial for understanding human interaction with visual stimuli.
- Artistic brain connectomes provide a framework for studying how we engage with art.
- Eye-tracking paradigms offer insights into visual attention and processing of complex imagery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different viewing conditions and social cues influence gaze patterns and personal resonance with artworks.
- To apply theoretical frameworks of social and artistic brain connectomes to an eye-tracking study.
- To elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) method.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an eye-tracking paradigm with healthy adults.
- Compared two VTS-based viewing conditions (personal/social perspective-taking) against a contextual information-only condition.
- Assessed gaze patterns toward social cues (animate elements) and personal resonance with artworks.
Main Results:
- VTS viewing conditions directed gaze towards salient social cues (animate elements) more than the contextual condition.
- Audio cues, particularly personal reflections (VTS), significantly influenced visual attention.
- No significant effect of viewing condition on personal resonance with artworks was found, accounting for image variability.
Conclusions:
- The study provides neurobiological evidence for the VTS method's impact on visual exploration patterns.
- VTS measurably shapes how individuals visually engage with artworks, grounding the method in the social brain.
- Findings have implications for art education, diagnostics, and therapeutic applications of art-based interventions.
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