MUSE Research Lab

MUSE is a research lab housed in the UW's iSchool. It includes faculty and students doing original research in museums, and in particular at the intersection of museums, learning, and wellbeing. We study how and what people learn in museums, especially critical thinking, cognition, play, and social-emotional development. Relatedly, we study the role of museums in psychological wellbeing, as well as emotions such as awe and empathy that influence both learning and wellbeing in museums.

The lab is directed by Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D., Director of the Master of Arts in Museology (MA.Muse) and Teaching Professor in the iSchool.

Museums & Wellbeing

Psychological wellbeing in art museums

One in 5 adults experience mental health issues (National Alliance on Mental Health, 2020). Research suggests that art museum experiences may promote positive mental health. This study investigates the impacts of visiting an art museum exhibit on adult's psychological wellbeing, as well as the factors that may contribute to such impacts. Data will be collected through interviews with adults at three Seattle art museums - Seattle Art Museum, Asian Art Museum, and the Frye Art Museum - using the University College London's Museum Wellbeing Measures Toolkit.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Student Research Team: Allison Bramblett, Kami Chesnut, Jamie Fontana, Lilia Fromm, Makayla Fry, Ash Gingery, Yanyue Guan, McKenna Johnson, Erika Krause, Wilson Lam, Mariel Lees, Shizheng Miao, Marley Salgado Smith, Emily Shields, Lucas Terry, Marcela Velandia, Polly Yorioka, and Michael Zamudio
Dates: 2023 - 2024

Awe in art museums

Awe has many positive benefits for people. Research suggests that art museums are well positioned to foster awe, but no evidence confirms this hypothesis. This study assessed whether and how people experience awe during an art museum visit, and what elicits these feelings of awe. A total of 132 adults were interviewed at the Tate Britain or the Wallace Collection in London, UK.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Assistant: Marissa Conway
Dates: 2018 - 2019

SEL in children's museums vs. playgrounds

Social-emotional skills are essential for children's later social, academic, and professional success (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, n.d.). Much research has focused on how schools can foster children's social-emotional skills, but far less research has considered how children's museums can do the same. This study was conducted by the Children's Museum Research Network. We observed 606 preschoolers in 14 children's museums and 12 playgrounds, using the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC-R/S).

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Assistants: Erin Cote (UW, Museology, Class of 2019), Eileen Tomczuk (UW, Museology, Class of 2018)
Funder: Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Dates: 2018 - 2019

Designing for SEL in children's museums

Knowing that social emotional learning happens in children's museums, we wanted to test whether and how SEL varies according to the design of exhibits. We again used the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC-R/S), this time observing 1,178 preschoolers in three types of children's museum exhibits: those with mostly loose parts, those mostly about pretend play, and and those focused on collaborative play.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Partners: Travis Windleharth, foundry10, Seattle, WA; Nicole Rivera, North Central College, Chicago, IL; Kari Nelson, Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, UT
Research Assistants: Siobhan Warmer (UW, Museology, Class of 2023), Miao Zhi (UW, Education, Class of 2024)
Funder: foundry10
Dates: 2022-2023

Caregivers' observations of SEL in children's museums

This study assesses whether and in what ways parents/caregivers observe their children engaging in social emotional learning during a visit to a children's museum. We are again drawing on the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC-R/S), this time adapting it into a self report questionnaire administered to parents/caregivers of preschoolers 2-3 days after their visit. We're recruiting parents/caregivers from multiple children's museums across the country, including in Seattle, WA; Salt Lake City, UT; Chicago, ILl and Indianapolis, IN.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Partners: Nicole Rivera, North Central College, Chicago, IL; Kari Nelson, Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, UT; Susan Foutz and Claire Thoma, Indianapolis, IN
Research Assistants: Michelle Villagomez (UW, Museology, Class of 2025); Annie Song (UW, MHCI+D, Class of 2024)
Dates: 2023-2024

Publications on museums & wellbeing

Luke, J.J., Chesnut, K.L., Gingery, A., Guan, Y., Miao, S., Shields, E., Terry, L., Velandia-Pirazan, Bramblett, A., Fontana, J., Fry, M., Johnson, M., Krause, E., Krieger, L., Lam, W., Lees, M., Salgado Smith, M., Yorioka, P., & Zamudio, M. (in review). Does an art museum visit impact people's well-being? Our answer is yes, and no. Curator: The Museum Journal.
Luke, J.J., Warmer, S., Rivera, N., Nelson, K., Windleharth, T., Tung, A., Cheng, K., & Zhi, M. (2025). The effects of exhibit design on preschoolers’ peer relationship skills in children’s museums. Journal of Museum Education, 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2025.2476305.
Luke, J.J., Rivera, N., & Brenkert, S. (2022). Preschoolers’ social emotional learning in children’s museums and community playgrounds. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 20(2), 229-241.
Ter-Kazarian, K., & Luke, J.J. (2021). Influence of an art museum visit on individuals' psychological and physiological indicators of stress. Museums & Social Issues, 14(1-2), 45-59.
Luke, J.J. (2021). “The bloody hell and holy cow moment:” Feeling awe in the art museum. Curator: The Museum Journal, 64(2), 41-55.
Lamar, K., & Luke, J.J. (2016). The impact of art museum dementia-based programming on participating care partners. Journal of Museum Education, 41(3), 210-219.
Betts, D.J., Potash, J.S., Luke, J.J., & Kelso, M. (2015). An art therapy study of visitor reactions to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship, 30(1), 21-43.

Student research on museums & wellbeing

Emily Shields, Inspiration in art museums. MA Museology 2025, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Hannah Sutton, A part of it: Understanding infrequent art museum visitors' feelings of belonging during their visit. MA Museology 2024, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Polly Yorioka, International students' perceptions of wellbeing during an art museum visit. MA Museology 2024, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Gillian Cobb, Understanding adult play and wellbeing in children's museums. MA Museology 2022, University of Washington (JLuke Thesis Committee Member).
Jinglin Hou, Museum programs addressing eating disorders and body image. MA Museology 2022, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Sara Bell, "You can't eat prestige:" The impact of unionization on art museum workers' wellbeing. MA Museology 2021, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Jessica Conway & Erin Cotton, Students' emotional wellbeing within art museum experiences. MA Museology 2021, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Sarah Huckaby, Museums on prescription: Incorporating museum staff perspectives. MA Museology 2021, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Devonshire Lokke, Exploring empathy: The valence of visitors' empathy for zoo animals. MA Museology 2021, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Kristina Ter-Kazarian, Influence of an art museum visit on individuals' psychological and physiological indicators of stress. MA Museology 2020, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Jenna Green, Cultivating emotional wellbeing: Museums and art therapy. MA Museology 2019, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Nicole Jarvis, Chasing the muses: Visitor experiences with inspiration in art museums. MA Museology 2019, University of Washington (JLuke Thesis Committee Member).
Heather Knudson, Aquarium visitors’ empathy for non-charismatic animals. MA Museology 2019, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Stephanie Morrison, In pursuit of connection: Exploring visitors' empathy in culturally-centered museums. MA Museology 2019, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Dorothy Svgdik, If this was just a museum: Employee emotional well-being at trauma site museums. MA Museology 2019, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Jeanmarie Hayes, Creating discomfort: Exploring the use of emotional immersive experiences to address social issues in museums. MA Museology 2016, University of Washington, (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Katherine Lamar, Impact of art museum-based dementia programming on participating care partners. MA Museology 2015, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

Museums & Critical Thinking

Adults, awe and critical thinking in art museums

People often feel awe during an art museum visit, and that awe opens their minds and cultivates wonder and inquisitiveness. This study tested the effects of awe on adults' critical thinking in an art museum. A total of 153 adults were interviewed at the National Gallery of Denmark and Glyptotetek in Copenhagen, Denmark. Treatment participants were asked to reflect on a moment when they felt awe in the museum, and control participants were asked to describe their pathway through the museum. Both were asked to analyze a work of art, and their interpretations were analyzed using coding rubrics from Visual Thinking Strategies.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Assistants: Astrid Jessen (University of Copenhagen, Information Science & Cultural Communication), Stine Froslev-Thomsen (University of Copenhagen, Information Science & Cultural Communication)
Funder: University of Washington
Dates: 2022 - 2023

Teens, awe and critical thinking in art museums

This study extends our first study, investigating the effects of awe on teen's and young adult's critical thinking in an art museum. We're collecting data at the Seattle Art Museum, randomly assigning participants to either an awe-inducing condition (treatment) or a general condition (control). In the awe-inducing condition, we'll ask youth and young adults to describe a moment when they felt awe in the museum. In the general condition, we'll ask them to describe their route through the museum. We'll then measure critical thinking through both a discussion about a work of art as well as an art making activity, and we'll compare critical thinking across conditions.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Partners: Travis Windleharth and Rachel Gaudry, foundry10; Jason Porter, Seattle Art Museum
Research Assistant: Emily Shields (UW, Museology, Class of 2025)
Funder: foundry10
Dates: 2023-2025

Critical thinking in a museum-school program

Many art museum programs aim to facilitate the development of young people's critical thinking skills, but most are unclear in their definitions of critical thinking and their notions of how it is best facilitated. This study examined the impact of a museum-school program on students' critical thinking about works of art. Data were collected from 135 3rd-5th grade students at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA, half of whom participated in the program and half of whom did not. Our coding rubric was used in a follow up study conducted by University of Arkansas researchers at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Partner: Marianna Adams
Funder: Department of Education
Dates: 2002 - 2005

Publications on museums & critical thinking

Luke, J.J., & Foley, C.. (2025). Impacts of awe and wonder on adults' critical thinking during an art museum visit. Studies in Art Education, 66(1), 94-111.
Martinko, M., & Luke, J.J. (2018). “They ate your laundry!” Historical thinking in young history museum visitors. Journal of Museum Education, 43(3), 245-259.
Luke, J.J., & Knutson, K. (2010). Beyond science: Implications of the LSIE report for art museum educators. Curator: The Museum Journal, 53(2), 229-237.
Luke, J.J., Stein, J., Kessler, C., & Dierking, L.D. (2007). Making a difference in the lives of youth: Mapping success with the “Six Cs.” Curator: The Museum Journal, 50(4), 417-434.
Luke, J.J., Stein, J., Foutz, S., & Adams, M. (2007). Research to practice: Testing a tool for assessing critical thinking in art museum programs. Journal of Museum Education, 32(2),123-135.

Student research on museums & critical thinking

📚 Michael Lamble, Historical thinking through historical doing: The impact of wearing armor on visitors' thinking in arms and armor galleries. MA Museology 2020, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📚 Jennifer Fisher, Cultivating creativity: Understanding visitor perceptions of creativity in art museum exhibits. MA Museology 2018, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📚 Megan Martinko, Examining children’s historical thinking in hands-on history spaces. MA Museology 2017, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📚 Michael Rzemien, Historical thinking in museum exhibits. MA Museology 2016, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📚 Amy Oates, Evidence of learning in an art museum makerspace. MA Museology 2015, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📚 Beth Smith, Art museums, school visits, and critical thinking: A case study of programmatic strategies. MA Museology 2015, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

Museums & Child/Family Development

Parents' learning about kids in a children's museum

Significant research has focused on caregiver-child interaction in children's museums, but little is known about what caregivers might be observing or perceiving about their children's learning. This study was conducted by the Children's Museum Research Network, and was designed to assess what parents/caregivers observe about their children's learning during a visit to the children's museum. We collected online questionnaires from 223 adults, and conducted follow-up phone interviews with 20 adults, recruited from 8 children's museums nationally.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Assistants: Eileen Tomczuk (Museology, Class of 2018), Leonor Colbert (Museology, Class of 2017)
Funder: Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Dates: 2017 - 2018

How children's museums conceptualize and position play

For most American children's museums, play is central to their purpose and often highlighted as an attribute that makes them distinct from other types of museums and informal learning institutions. However, play is also problematic in that it is often ill-defined and ill-understood within society more broadly. This study was conduced by the Children's Museum Research Network. We designed it to better understand how children's museums conceptualize play, and how they position themselves and their work relative to play. We interviewed professionals at 49 children's museums.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Assistants: Leonor Colbert (Museology, Class of 2017), Cat Scharon (Museology, Class of 2016)
Funder: Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Dates: 2016 - 2017

Families and art museums

Many art museums target families by creating "Family Galleries," interactive spaces in the museum explicitly designed to engage families with works of art and launch them into the rest of the museum. We studied these spaces at three art museums - the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY; and the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN - to better understand what parents value about them. We interviewed 2,408 parents/caregivers, and collected online questionnaires from another 1,513.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Assistants: Angelina Ong, Claudia Figueredo
Funder: Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Dates: 2007 - 2011

Museums bridging school and parents

Parents have a major influence on children's learning, yet parent involvement remains weak in many communities. In this study, we examined the role that a museum-designed, parent involvement program (Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia, PA) played in connecting parents and schools in support of children's learning. Using a grounded theory approach, 20 parents were interviewed multiple times, approximately 2 years after their participation in the program.

Principal Investigator: Jessica J. Luke, Ph.D.
Research Partner: Dale McCreedy
Funder: National Science Foundation
Dates: 2005 - 2006

Publications on museums & child/family development

Hoke, K., Storksdieck, M., Riedinger, K., Rehkamp, J., & Luke, J. J. (in prep). Interplay: A framework of play-based STEM engagement at exhibits for young children. Curator: The Museum Journal.
Luke, J.J., Rivera, N., Colbert, L., & Scharon, C. (2021). The problem of play in children’s museums. International Journal of Play, 10(1), 63-74.
Luke, J.J., Tomczuk, E.D., Foutz, S., Rivera, N., Brahms, L., Nelson, K., Hahn, B., Swank, M., & McKenney, K. (2019). What caregivers observe about their children’s learning during a visit to the children’s museum. Journal of Museum Education, 44(4), 427-438.
Luke, J.J., Letourneau, S., Rivera, N., Brahms, L., & May, S. (2017). Play in children’s museums: A path forward or a point of tension? Curator: The Museum Journal, 60(2), 37-46.
Luke, J.J., & Garvin, Victoria. (2014). What do we need to know? The Children’s Museum Research Agenda Project. Hand-to-Hand, Fall 2014, 3, 13.
Tezcan-Akmehmet, K., & Luke, J.J. (2013). Museums and parent involvement: A landscape review. Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship, 28(5), 491-507.
Luke, J.J., & McCreedy, D. (2012). Breaking down barriers: Museum as broker of home/school collaboration. Visitor Studies, 15(1), 98-113.
Adams, M., Luke, J.J., & Ancelet, J. (2010). What we do and do not know about family learning in art museum interactive spaces: A literature review. Engage, 25, 19-30.
Dierking, L.D., Anderson, N., Ellenbogen, K.M., Donnelly, C., Luke, J.J., & Cunningham, K. (2005). The Family Learning Initiative at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis: Integrating research, practice, and assessment. Hand-to-Hand, 19(1), 3-11.
Ellenbogen, K.M., Luke, J.J., & Dierking, L.D. (2004). Family learning in museums: An emerging disciplinary matrix? Science Education, 88(1), 48-58.
Dierking, L.D., Luke, J.J., Foat, K., & Adelman, L.M. (2001). The family and free-choice learning. Museum News, 80(6), 38-43.
Witmer, S., Luke, J.J., & Adams, M. (2000). Exploring the potential of museum multiple-visit programs. Art Education: The Journal of the National Art Education Association, 53(5), 46-52.

Student research on museums & child/family development

📂 Catherine Garrett, Whistle while you work: The impact of working in a children's museum on teenagers' self-confidence. MA Museology 2022, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Victoria Bonebrake, "This is what white families do on a Sunday:" Investigating the visit motivations of BIPOC families in arts and culture museums. MA Museology 2021, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Shiyu Sun, What asian caregivers observe about their children's learning during a visit to the children's museum. MA Museology 2020, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Emma Cantrell, Teen self-efficacy beliefs and the art museum studio. MA Museology 2018, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Abigail Rhinehart, "Remember when we...:" Personal memory in family visits to history museums. MA Museology 2018, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Melisa McChesney, Youth perspectives on the impact of museum programs on self- efficacy. MA Museology 2017, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Maria Robinson, Don't forget to play: Examining what play looks like in museums for adult visitors. MA Museology 2016, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Catherine Scharon, Long-term impacts of museum school experiences on high school alumi. MA Museology 2016, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

📂 Julia Miller, Emerging practices: Early learning experiences in art museums. MA Museology 2014, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).

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