Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam are currently investigating how brains and bodies respond to culture and heritage. Designed together with META-MUSEUM partners POLITO and UniJena, the study combines three innovative approaches:
- Brain activity recorded with electroencephalography (EEG)
- Postural responses captured by a force plate while participants stand
- Physiological responses measured by a wristband monitoring skin conductance
One sub-study specifically addresses emotional responses and how these can best be captured within this experimental setup.
In collaboration with POLITO, the selection of visual stimuli makes it possible to study the effect of different caption styles accompanying museum artifacts. Drawing on their experience of working in museum environments with cultural professionals, four different types of captions are being tested: factual informative content, open keywords thematically related to the artifact, questions directly inviting visitors to reflect on the depicted theme, and phrases designed to empower visitors and strengthen their confidence.
Together with UniJena, the focus lies on a series of artifacts from the META-MUSEUM partner Museo Egizio in Turin, which depict the first documented protest in human history (ancient Egypt). In the lab, participants are shown these materials, and we investigate whether engagement with societal issues differs when the themes are presented through historical depictions or through contemporary documentation. As a further step, and in light of the rapid growth of AI-generated imagery, we also include AI-created material that mirrors both the historical and contemporary protest conditions. This allows us to examine whether participants perceive and respond to AI imagery differently.
By combining neural, postural, and physiological measures, the study aims to show whether automatic responses to cultural experiences can be reliably measured. If successful, this will provide a more robust scientific foundation for understanding how our brains and bodies are affected by affective experiences and cultural encounters.
The results of these studies may offer valuable insights for museum professionals, providing new ways of creating accompanying material for exhibitions that highlight different aspects of what is displayed and help audiences to connect more deeply with the themes. In doing so, they aim to foster empathy, emotional engagement, and a stronger sense of confidence in visitors as they relate both to the works on view and to their own position in the world.