Högskolan i Skövde

Over the last decades, scientists’ interest in exploring art’s insights has led to the emergence of neuroaesthetics, an interdisciplinary field aiming to unveil the neural substrate of aesthetic experiences. Since its conception, neuroaesthetics has become a fruitful area of research, garnering significant attention. However, a notable limitation of the field is the scarcity of ecologically valid studies investigating how individuals engage with artworks in environments where they are most commonly encountered. We present an exploratory study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine the neural correlates of aesthetic experiences in a naturalistic context and their potential relation to behavioral measures related to the appraisal of art. 89 participants (74.2% female, M age = 29.16, SD = 10.39) underwent fNIRS scanning while observing a painting in a museum and subsequently assessed the artwork and their experience via questionnaires. Art viewing was associated with significantly increased activation in the right anterior temporal lobe (rATL) and right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) (p< .001), brain regions implicated in processes such as aesthetic appraisal, emotional processing, conceptual meaning and semantic interpretation. Behavioral ratings of conceptuality of the artwork and profundity of the experience were found to negatively predict activity in the rATL (p < .05). Overall, our results reinforce the notion of art as a complex, multifaceted phenomenon involving neural processes beyond mere visual recognition, while validating the use of portable neuroimaging devices to study engagement with art beyond traditional laboratory settings and identifying methodological challenges that might accompany such approach.