Psychological Evaluation of Media Art Focusing on Movement

This study investigates the psychological impact of the movement elements of media art on viewers. As a new art form with contemporary media often exhibited in public places, media art plays a crucial role in stimulating thoughts, raising social issues, and designing various experiential spaces. Therefore, understanding how each element within media art affects human psychology is indispensable. We took the abstract and diverse characteristics of Tosa Art as a subject and categorized the movement elements of the artwork into five categories: vertical, horizontal, scattered, rotational, and symmetrical. We then had 30 participants evaluate the impact of each category on four psychological factors: impression, relaxation, motivation, and creativity. As a result, while the “rotational” category significantly influenced impression, motivation, and creativity, the impact of the “vertical” movement was minimal. Our findings align with existing research that visual movements draw attention, reinforce memory, and induce emotions and behaviors. This study adds a new perspective to understanding the psychological effects of art and emphasizes the importance of evaluating movement as an element of the artwork. However, as a limitation, this study primarily focuses on movement, not considering other potential influencing factors such as other visual elements, the context of the work, and individual personality traits. Given that the research is specifically centered on Tosa art, there is also a need to experiment with a broader range of artists. Future research needs to explore these factors to fully grasp the overall psychological impact of media art.