What part or aspect of the article “On Being Moved by Art…” (Djikic et al.) resonated with you (did you feel) the most? Why? What did you think about when you read this part? Your response should be at three to seven sentences long.
16 thoughts on “Blog Post #1: “On Being Moved by Art…” (Djikic et al.)”
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The part of the article that I resonated with the most was when the author said that reading narratives involves processes of identification and self implication and then proceeds to discuss how literature is cognitive and emotional simulation leading to the re-schematization of oneself. This resonated with me because I have felt this before. Not with books but with movies. Both forms of art. When I read this part I thought about how after watching a good movie I always unconsciously take away a message from the characters’ journeys in the movie. It feels as if I went through the journey myself and have learned from it.
In reading the article the aspect that resonated with me the most was that not just the presence of art but the quality, depth, complexity and intensity of the artist depiction has the power to cause personality trait change. Based on the laboratory study the artistic form was found to invoke some trait change, versus the individuals interest level and the content of the story. The test shows that art is powerful, it has the power to transform thoughts, emotions, and feelings, it has the power to positively or negatively impact change in a person’s psyche, art may even have to power to heal. Reading the results made me think back to memories of literary art and images that moved me emotionally or changed my perspective towards a situation, for example my spirits becomes lifted and i feel incredibly nostalgic when I see images of poinciana trees. It takes me back to my backyard in the Bahamas.
The part that resonated with me the most is when the article talks about how literature can be seen as a simulation and its cognitive and emotional development. After reading that sentence it made me realize how true that statement is, especially when it comes to people like me who like to visualize everything I read. Just like how the article describes it being similar to a computer simulation, after reading stories, stories playout through the mind. Further supported by the research done, it shows how the literary form can impact a person. After visualizing say a character’s story, it puts that same feeling to the reader and how you can put yourself in their shoes.
The aspect of “On Being Moved By Art” that resonated with me the most was the results of the study. Before reading the article, I believed pieces of art were definitely able to evoke emotions in people but not necessarily able to cause a personality change. Shown in the article, change in personality is a difficult variable to both measure and control, and didn’t see how reliable results could be produced. However, with a smart design the experiment was able to control variables and produce tangible results that surprised me. The results were consistent with the original hypothesis, and showed that personality change by art was more than possible. These findings prove that there is great potential in further study of personality change as the result of art.
The part that resonated with me the most were the results of the experiment. They discussed how there is potential of change in someones emotion and traits with art. And I agree, not only in readings but in shows, movies, acts, etc.. It resonates with me because there’s been shows that I’ve watched that have made me change my opinion on something, or art that I’ve seen that simply made me happier by how beautiful it was. I thought about how everything I’ve seen has basically shaped who I am when reading the conclusion of the study so I see only the sky’s the limit with these results. And I hope they continue to unravel the mystery of arts effects on us.
The experiment seemed very interesting from the beginning, I quickly arrived to the conclusion that this would be a hypothesis I can support. I was skeptical of the project being much support. It was mentioned that the “Books that made the difference” project concluded books as being instigator of self- change. This resonated with me deeply as an English learner, as I started learning the language I needed to find a sense of expression, since messages get lost in translation. As I increased my reading I learned new words and mimicked the style of writing and expression. I developed a personality within my own, but I would not say I developed a new personality. I agree with the article that personality is a complex, gradual and individual process.
In the article “On Being Moved by Art …”, I felt like that I could relate to the first part the most. The first part states that personalities and emotions can heavily impact the type of artwork an artist produces. Photography is a hobby of mine and I believe the pictures I take is a clear representation of me. I like my photos to be aesthetically pleasing, just like everything else. As I continue reading, I stumbled upon this sentence “although many art lovers feel personally transformed as a consequence of an interaction with what they find to be moving works of art, this change seems rare, unpredictable, unique, and difficult to measure.” I remembered the time I went on a vacation; I saw how beautiful mother nature was and I felt like I was in a novel. The feeling was unreal and unforgettable, it was close to perfect, and of course I took a picture of it and it looked like the DELL default home screen.
The experiment in the given article undoubtedly resonated with me, being someone who has high admiration for art and thoroughly enjoys various forms of it. From a young age, I showed an avid interest in a plethora of books, eventually discovered drawing, and finally transitioned into musical ventures. All of these activities impacted my situational emotions, but also effected who I became later in life and my overall personality. I think that out of all of these forms of art, reading has always been the most influential source of insight and maturation, so the study being based on “The Lady With the Toy Dog” seemed appropriate. Feeling as if some form of creative expression invokes transformative feelings on who you are is common among many, yet it is a bizzare anomaly that has not seemed to be further investigated, especially scientifically. That being said, I think that is why I found the idea of testing emotional responses so intriguing, and also felt validated by the results.
When discussing the importance of not only literature, but art in general, people tend to overlook the psychological affects such bodies of work have on our minds. The part in this article that intrigued me the most was when the author mentions that art correlates to change in a positive/negative mood. I’ve often experienced this sensation myself whenever I listen to music. Depending on the tone and lyrics of the song, my mood would shift accordingly as a reaction to what I am listening to. Previously I only thought of this as an unexplained phenomena, but it is eye opening to see that there are lab experiments which support this claim and show the change in emotion which art may produce.
The aspect in the article that resonated with me the most was when the article talked about cognitive and emotional simulation. In that paragraph, the part that stood out to me the most was that there is re-schematization when it is relating to oneself. After reading that section, I took a minute and realized how accurate that statement was for me. In situations, I find myself acting or thinking based on what I know or have experienced (either from my own experiences or from others’ experiences). Sometimes these experiences are fascinating or devastating that it slightly changes on how I view things.
I think what resonated with me most was the fact that I was personally changed by works of art, especially books. They have great impact on peoples lives, their thoughts and motivations. This is proven by the fact that art can cause different emotions in people. I believe that art is capable of causing some sort of personality change on some level. The different types of art can awaken emotions, which subsequently can effect on people.
The part of the article that resonated with me the most was that the differences between the two groups were only due to the art form rather than the content. I always thought the content of a book is what makes someone change, probably because I never read fiction. If I ever read for myself it is always nonfiction. Fiction seemed like it was only for entertainment, however this part of the article made me want to try it.
This article resonated with me a lot due to the fact that I believe in the experiment where readers have different thoughts and feelings after reading fiction books. I feel that when reading fiction books, it opens up the imagination of the reader. When I read or watch mystery, there is always a lot of emotion evoked and it changes my perspective in what I think about the story. It also makes me wonder how I would feel about the story and how I might relate to what is going on. Furthermore, when I do read books, I would picture how the characters would talk through the tone or the emotion from the book. I think this plays a huge role in how there is an effect on how I may change my perspective on a certain character. Overall, I think that fiction is always interesting to learn about as anything could happen in the book.
The aspect of the article that resonated with me most was when it stated that it was reasonable to assume that your change in emotion can lead to some sort of a more permanent change in your personality structure. This sentence resonates with me because of many impactful past experiences shaping who I am today. Emotions can not only change your personality structure but can also mold your perspective on things completely and can give you a sense of open-mindedness.
The part of the article which resonated with me most was the conclusion. The authors noted how a story “set in turn-of-the-century Russia” had such a significant impact on American undergraduates. After reading this, I recognized how fiction writing transcends generations, cultures, and countries. The readers experienced their own personality traits in a work written over a century ago during Russian Tsardom. My parents grew up in the Soviet Union, and my father urged me to read “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In reading the novel, I experienced several existential moments and reflected on my own faith and self-transformation. This proves the sentiment of “On Being Moved by Art,” fictional stories are timeless and will continue to bring emotions to the surface and promote the growth of its readers.
I resonated with part of the article’s ending where fiction can produce “fluctuations in one’s own traits” and “lead to a gradual change in oneself toward a better understanding of others as well.” This part of the article reminded me of how the main characters in the fictional books I read in high school were characterized. The authors would either explicitly state their protagonists’ traits or imply important aspects about them. I would compare myself and others around me to these characterizations, and this method helped me better understand the people I meet on a daily basis. I am grateful for fictional books because although we read about characters that don’t exist in real life, we are still able to relate to and learn from them.