Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts

What makes a face beautiful? How can a painting or music "move" us? What mental processes support creative inspiration, and why does it feel good to have a new idea? This course will explore the psychological and neural basis of aesthetic experiences and of creativity, both in the context of the arts and beyond. Through a combination of primary research papers, review articles and guest lectures, we will examine topics such whether beauty is a feature of the world or an internal feeling, what it means to be creative, what is known about the mental and neural processes that support creative production and aesthetic reception, and how an understanding of their psychology can be applied to improve health and well-being. Throughout the course, we will also consider how the tools of cognitive neuroscience can be adapted to study these deeply subjective, highly individual experiences.