Art, Emotion, and Health: Investigating the Psychological Benefits of Fine Art for Mental and Physical Health

Abstract

Fine art has increasingly been recognized as a potential contributor to psychological well-being, emotional regulation, and physiological health. The present study investigates the psychological and physical health benefits associated with exposure to fine art by examining changes in subjective well-being, emotional responses, perceived stress, heart rate, and salivary cortisol. A between-subjects experimental design was employed with 57 undergraduate participants, comprising 30 males and 27 females, who were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: an art condition, a positive comparison condition, and a neutral control condition. Mental health was assessed through subjective well-being, life satisfaction, positive and negative emotions, perceived stress, and awe-related experiences. Physical health was evaluated using objective physiological indicators, namely heart rate and salivary cortisol. Participants completed baseline assessments before exposure to the assigned condition, followed by post-induction assessments of psychological and physiological responses. Statistical analyses included analysis of variance, planned contrasts, regression analysis, and mixed-effects ANOVA to examine differences between conditions and changes over time. The findings indicate that exposure to fine art was associated with enhanced subjective well-being, greater positive emotional experiences, and stronger feelings of awe, amazement, and wonder compared with the comparison conditions. Participants exposed to art also demonstrated lower post-induction stress levels, suggesting that engagement with fine art may contribute to short-term psychological relaxation and emotional improvement. Physiological observations further indicated favorable changes in heart rate and salivary cortisol following art exposure, suggesting a possible relationship between aesthetic engagement and physiological stress regulation. Overall, the study provides evidence that fine art may support both mental and physical dimensions of well-being by promoting positive emotional states, reducing perceived stress, and influencing physiological indicators associated with stress. The findings highlight the potential value of fine art as a complementary approach for promoting holistic health and psychological well-being.