Relationships between metacognition in art appreciation and aesthetic experiences: A field study in a museum

Abstract

The present study conducted a filed survey to investigate the relationships between metacognition in art appreciation and aesthetic experiences and characteristics of individuals with high levels of metacognition in art appreciation. After completing their art appreciation in a museum, participants (𝑁 = 100, 55 women and 43 men; mean age = 51.52 ± 16.23, range = 14–77) were asked to rate the extent to which they experience seven types of aesthetic experiences for six exhibited paintings, and then asked to compete questionnaires measuring metacognition in art appreciation, art interest, aesthetic responsiveness, and meaning in life. Multilevel analyses revealed that individuals with higher levels of metacognitive knowledge in art appreciation tended to understand and like artworks. Additionally, correlation analyses revealed that individuals with high levels of metacognitive knowledge in art appreciation reported high levels of art interest, aesthetic responsiveness, and presence of meaning in life, and that individuals with high levels of metacognitive experience in art appreciation reported high levels of aesthetic responsiveness and presence of meaning in life. Our results highlight the importance of metacognition in art appreciation. Our study provides findings that can extend previous psychological models of aesthetic experiences and contribute to develop educational programs for art appreciation from the perspective of metacognition.