Collaborations between scientists and artists are booming, particularly due to the importance of taking action to combat climate change and promote the circular economy. Kelly Gbeve, Virginie Francoeur, Sophie Bernard, and Louis Tanguay have published a literature review on this topic in Frontiers in Psychology. This article highlights the methodologies prioritized by the research community to assess the influence of visual arts on pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). This review also presents the current state of knowledge regarding the influence that visual art can have on these behaviors.
Summary of the article
The role of art in the scientific community is gradually evolving from a simple communication tool to forms of intervention aimed at changing CPEs. However, the approaches used in research to observe these behavioral changes are poorly documented, and the state of knowledge in this area deserves to be highlighted in order to bring out the main findings. The objective of this article is precisely to fill these gaps, with a specific focus on the influence of the visual arts on CPEs. A systematic literature review enabled the authors to identify six characteristics specific to research approaches based on the analysis of eight articles. Four of these characteristics (mixed methods, use of concepts from the literature, longitudinal studies, and establishment of environmental profiles) have the potential to improve the quality of investigations, while the other two (providing complementary materials and promoting a co-creation approach) increase the chances that an art-science project will influence CPEs in the long term. Although the art forms analyzed in the review did not appear to significantly influence CPEs, the article points out that art still had an influence on environmental attitudes and awareness, which in turn can influence CPEs in the longer term.
This article is derived from the research project Art as a Catalyst for Ecological Change, proudly supported by the RRECQ and led by two of the article’s authors.
À propos des auteurs
- Kelly Gbeve, former graduate student at Polytechnique Montréal
- Virginie Francoeur, associate professor at Polytechnique Montréal
- Sophie Bernard, full professor at Polytechnique Montréal
- Louis Tanguay, research associate at RRECQ
