The arts can have a powerful influence on the lives of older adults. The arts can uplift spirits, stir memories from the past, and facilitate cognitive processes and emotional expression. While there have been efforts to study the expressive effects of artwork, that is, the creating of artwork, little is known about the receptive effects older adults have when viewing artwork. The purpose of this study was to (a) explore the cognitive and emotional responses reported by older adults when viewing artwork, (b) reveal the progression of thoughts reported by older adults when viewing artwork, (c) discover elements of artwork that are perceived as beneficial by older adults, and (d) determine criteria for an artwork selection that is potentially most beneficial for older adults. A convenience sample of 26 community dwelling adults aged 65 and older were recruited from senior centers and apartment buildings through personal presentations and distributed/posted flyers. Single face-to-face interviews lasting 60 to 175 minutes were done to elicit the participants’ thoughts and feelings while viewing eighteen 8 ˝ x11 reproductions of artwork by well-known artists. The interview followed the direction the participant took, with the interviewer using interaction techniques to elicit further elaboration. The audio-taped interviews were transcribed verbatim and imported into QSR NVivo software to facilitate data management. Thematic analysis of the data was done to identify patterns across participants and across paintings. The findings showed that older adults had numerous positive and negative emotional responses that were induced by specific elements in the paintings. Multiple cognitive responses were given such as description, analysis, and evaluation. Some paintings elicited memories, while others induced participants to tell stories or to determine a meaning being portrayed. Recommendations give direction for artwork selections in older adult environments and for strategies to elicit positive emotions and stimulate cognition.
Session #1210 - Elder Issues in the Community
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)