Art as a scaffold for social cognition

The idea that art connects us to others is culturally compelling, yet empirical evidence linking art engagement to social cognition remains mixed across paradigms, methods, and timescales. We develop the thesis that art functions as a scaffold for social cognition, rather than a direct intervention on social-cognitive abilities. From this perspective, art structures the conditions under which social cognition unfolds by shaping whether individuals engage with socially meaningful content, how deeply they become involved, and whether they return to similar experiences over time. The scaffold model identifies three interrelated components: a motivational gate, qualities of engagement, and reinforcement and habit formation. By integrating previously disconnected literature, the scaffold model reframes art's social-cognitive impact as a recursive process that creates repeated opportunities for social-cognitive practice across contexts, media, and timescales.