Belfiore, Eleonora and Bennett, Oliver (2007) Determinants of impact : towards a better understanding of encounters with the arts. Cultural Trends, Vol.16 (No.3). pp. 225-275. doi:10.1080/09548960701479417 ISSN 0954-8963.

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Abstract

The article argues that current methods for assessing the impact of the arts are largely based on a fragmented and incomplete understanding of the cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural dynamics that govern the aesthetic experience. It postulates that a better grasp of the interaction between the individual and the work of art is the necessary foundation for a genuine understanding of how the arts can affect people. Through a critique of philosophical and empirical attempts to capture the main features of the aesthetic encounter, the article draws attention to the gaps in our current understanding of the responses to art. It proposes a classification and exploration of the factors—social, cultural and psychological—that contribute to shaping the aesthetic experience, thus determining the possibility of impact. The ‘determinants of impact’ identified are distinguished into three groups: those that are inherent to the individual who interacts with the artwork; those that are inherent to the artwork; and ‘environmental factors’, which are extrinsic to both the individual and the artwork. The article concludes that any meaningful attempt to assess the impact of the arts would need to take these ‘determinants of impact’ into account, in order to capture the multidimensional and subjective nature of the aesthetic experience.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts > Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies > Centre for Cultural Policy Studies
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Arts and society, Aesthetics, Audiences -- Research
Journal or Publication Title:	Cultural Trends
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	0954-8963
Official Date:	2007
Dates:	Date Event 2007 Published
Volume:	Vol.16
Number:	No.3
Page Range:	pp. 225-275
DOI:	10.1080/09548960701479417
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit:	1 August 2016
Date of first compliant Open Access:	1 August 2016

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