2026 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 36-45
We begin with a brief history of applying quantum theory to cognition, which includes two approaches: quantum modeling, linking cognitive processes to physical quantum mechanisms in the brain, and quantum-like modeling (QLM), which uses quantum formalism and methodology without assuming reduction to quantum physical processes. QLM has proven effective as a phenomenological approach in the fields like psychology, economics, and social sciences, especially in modeling decision-making in the form of option selection. Recently, QLM has been extended to art and literature (AL), where aesthetic experiences present challenges not found in decision-making. Traditional projective measurements are insufficient here; instead, positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) offer a better fit for modeling such experiences. Though still in early stages, studies have shown that book reading can produce question order effects and violations of the QQ equality, both indicating that projective measurements may not apply. Overall, QLM in AL requires more sophisticated tools from quantum measurement theory, reflecting the complexity of aesthetic cognition.
