# Viewing art as a pathway to psychological well‐being and physical health

## TL;DR

Viewing art in museums may improve mental well-being and reduce stress, especially for those who are initially stressed.

## Contribution

This study explores whether passively viewing art, rather than creating it, can improve mental and physical health.

## Key findings

- Viewing art increased subjective well-being and reduced stress compared to neutral or pleasant activities.
- Stress reduction was more significant for participants who started with high stress levels.
- No significant differences in heart rate or cortisol levels were observed between conditions.

## Abstract

Viewing art in museums is enjoyable and meaningful. Although previous work has found that creating art promotes mental and physical health, whether these benefits extend to passively viewing art is unclear. We manipulated exposure to art by having participants visit a museum exhibit and compared this experience to a neutral and another pleasant activity. To assess physical health, we measured participants' heart rate during these activities and collected salivary cortisol before and after the activity. To assess mental health, participants rated their subjective well‐being and stress. Compared to the neutral or positive activity, viewing art led to greater subjective well‐being and lower stress. Benefits for stress were particularly pronounced for those who began the study with high levels of stress. However, heart rate and cortisol changes did not differ by condition. These results suggest the potential for museum‐based interventions to foster mental health, one hour but were inconclusive concerning physical health.