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A social dimension to enjoyment of negative emotion in art reception

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2017

Brock Bastian
Brock Bastian*
Affiliation:
Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. brock.bastian@unimelb.edu.au www.brockbastian.com
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Abstract

The proposed model overlooks the contribution of a relational/prosocial dimension to the enjoyment of negative emotion in art reception. Negative experiences have a unique capacity to build social bonds and may also increase motivation to “connect” with the artist. This affiliative motivation ensures that people experience an artwork as more emotional, more intense, more interesting, and ultimately more rewarding.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e352
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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