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This section covers four research approaches:
1. physiological and psychometric research
2. post-event surveying
3. qualitative post-event research
4. retrospective identification of impactful events – and concludes with a
synthesis of the various research methods.
Physiological and psychometric responses
measured during the experience
There is a growing body of research that investigates the biological functions that
underlie the aesthetic experience. Within this field (sometimes referred to as ‘bioaesthetics’)
a significant amount of research examines neurological responses to
aesthetic stimuli. Due to the technological requirements involved, it is currently
not feasible to measure the brain activity of large numbers of people at once,
although a number of studies have sought to capture other forms of biometric
data as a means of gauging audience responses to art, some of which may be
useful in informing the discussion of value and impact.
Latulipe, Carroll and Lottridge
For instance, Celine Latulipe, Erin A. Carroll and
Danielle Lottridge (2011) measure galvanic skin
responses (conductance) during performing arts
experiences and correlate them with the level of
engagement that test subjects report during the
performance. While such measurement techniques
may not be of immediate practical value as means
of gauging audience responses on a routine basis at
C Latulipe, E A Carroll and D Lottridge,
2011, ‘Love, hate, arousal and engagement:
exploring audience responses to performing
arts’, in Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference
on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1845-
1854.
theatres and concert halls, the study raises important questions that may inform
refinements in the theory of impact and value creation. During pilot tests of the
rating systems, for instance, the researchers found that
… simply labeling the slider with No Engagement and High Engagement was
confusing. Participants could not detach valence from the word, and tended to
only rate themselves as being engaged when they liked what they saw. Others
just didn’t really seem to know what we meant by engagement, and still others
didn’t seem to know how engaged they were. (1850)
Measuring Individual Impact: Physiological and psychometric responses measured during the experience 60
UNDERSTANDING the value and impacts of cultural experiences