Event Structure and the Experience of Viewing Art

Future theories of cognition need to encompass a wide range of human experiences, beyond those typically assessed in the laboratory. This study assessed how the experience of a prior artwork (prime) influenced the experience of the next artwork (target), and how this influence was affected by the presence or absence of event boundaries in a VR environment. We found that when primes were more emotionally intense, targets were rated lower in liking/beauty and emotional intensity. This influence was attenuated when the paintings were separated by an event boundary (separate rooms). Surprisingly, there was an effect of event boundaries on the processing of the prime paintings. An evaluation of additional data suggests that this is due to the mere presence of another painting in the same room, even before it is actually viewed. Thus, event structure can meaningfully impact the experience of viewing art.