Research on museums & wellbeing

Psychological wellbeing in art museum exhibits

One in 5 adults experience mental health issues (National Alliance on Mental Health, 2024). Research suggests that art museum experiences may promote positive mental health. This study investigates the impacts of a self-directed visit to an art museum on adult's psychological wellbeing, as well as the factors that may contribute to such impacts. Three hundred and sixty-three visitors were interviewed across 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. Data are being analyzed, and the results will be shared soon.

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

Feeling awe in art museums

Awe has several positive benefits for people. It can influence thinking, wellbeing, connectedness to others, and prosocial behaviors. Research suggests that art museums are well positioned to foster awe, but there's almost no evidence to confirm or deny 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. Results were published in Curator: The Museum Journal, Vol. 62, Issue 4.

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 recorded preschoolers' social-emotional behaviors in children's museums, and compared the frequency with which they occurred in the children's museum to the frequency with which they occurred in community playgrounds. Using the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC-R/S), we conducted 10 minute observations of 606 children ages 4-6 years in 14 children's museums and 12 comparative play spaces. Results were published in the Journal of Early Childhood Research, Vol. 20, Issue 2.

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

This study built on the one above by examining the differential effects of designed environments in children’s museums on preschoolers’ SEL. Its purpose was to assess whether and how the nature of preschoolers’ SEL in children’s museums varies according to the design of exhibits. We again used the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC-R/S), this time observing 1,179 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. Results were published in the Journal of Museum Education, Vol. 50, Issue 4.

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 again drew 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 recruited parents/caregivers from multiple children's museums across the country, including in Seattle, WA; Salt Lake City, UT; Chicago, ILl and Indianapolis, IN. A total of 402 parents/caregivers completed an online questionnaire emailed to them 2-3 days after their visit.

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: 2023-2025

Student research on wellbeing

Emily Shields, Inspiration in art museums. MA Museology 2025, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Emma Marquez Peterson, A research study to better understand Latino visitors' feelings of belonging during a museum visit. MA Museology 2025, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Sophia Myers, Museum rest spaces. MA Museology 2025, University of Washington (JLuke Chair, Thesis Committee).
Amanda Rodgers & Shylee Wheeler, Actionable inspiration: Visitor experiences of creative impulse 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).

Page updated

Report abuse