Study | Country | Study design | Comparator group | Setting | Population (N) | Stress outcome measures | Type and content of artwork | Quantity of artworks viewed by each participant | Duration of artwork viewing |
Clow and Fredhoi15 | UK | Pretest and post-test, within groups quasi-experimental study | None | Art gallery | Office workers n=28 (25 included in the analysis) Power analysis not performed | Self-reported stress Self-reported arousal Salivary cortisol | Physical artworks in a gallery- exact content not specified | Not specified- gallery exhibition | 35–40 min in the gallery |
D’Cunha et al24 | Australia | Pre- and post-test, within groups quasi-experimental study | None | Art gallery | People living with dementia n=28 (22 included in the analysis) Power analysis not performed | Salivary cortisol interleukin-6 | Physical artworks in a gallery- exact content not specified | 3–4 artworks each session, over 5–6 sessions | 5–6×90 min sessions. Each artwork was viewed for 20 min |
de Jong14 | Netherlands | Between groups experimental study | Laboratory workers (non-art students) Not randomised Not blinded | Laboratory | Advanced art history students, advanced fine arts students and laboratory workers n=27 Power analysis not performed | Heart rate Skin conductance Respiration rate | Digital projections of 12 paintings considered ‘beautiful’ and 12 paintings considered ‘ugly’ | 24 | Each painting was viewed for 10 s |
Eisen et al10 | USA | Pretest and post-test, randomised controlled trial | Room with no artwork Randomised Not blinded | Hospital- patients’ room | Paediatric patients (aged 5–17) n=78 Power analysis not performed | Self-reported stress Heart rate Blood pressure Respiratory rate | One group had a representational nature artwork hung on the wall, whereas the other group had an abstract artwork hung on the wall | 1 | 2 hours |
Karnik et al21 | USA | Cross-sectional survey | None | Hospital- public spaces and clinic rooms | Hospital patients n=826 Power analysis not performed | Self-reported change in stress | Physical collection of abstract and representational imagery (including nature imagery). Includes an assortment of artistic media; and a variety of subject matter | Collection of over 5300 artworks | N/A |
Krauss et al16 | Switzerland | Randomised controlled trial | Group received only descriptive information about the artwork (compared with elaborative information) Randomised Not blinded | Art museum | General public aged between 18 and 35 n=75 Power analysis performed | Heart rate Heart rate variability Skin conductance | Physical abstract paintings of Flemish expressionism | 6 | Not specified |
Kweon et al22 | USA | Between groups experimental study | No artwork posters group Randomised Not blinded | Laboratory (replicated office setting) | Psychology students n=210 Power analysis not performed | Self-reported stress | Nature posters and abstract posters | 4 | Not specified |
Law et al25 | New Zealand | Between groups experimental pilot study | Scrambled artwork images Randomised Blinded | Laboratory | General public n=30 Power analysis not performed | Salivary cortisol Salivary alpha-amylase | Digital slideshow of either landscape paintings or digitally scrambled versions of these paintings | 26 | 30 min |
Mastandrea et al17 | Italy | Between groups experimental study | Museum office Randomised Not blinded | Art museum | Undergraduate students n=77 Power analysis not performed | Blood pressure Heart rate | Physical artworks in a gallery- including figurative artworks (eg, landscapes and portraits) and modern artworks (eg, abstract, impressionist and informal paintings) | Not specified- gallery exhibition | 5 min |
McCabe et al9 | Ireland | Randomised prospective clinical trial | Room without the ‘Open Window’ Randomised Not blinded | Hospital- patients’ room | Stem cell transplantation patients n=199 (164 included in the analysis) Power analysis performed | Self-reported distress | Virtual window, with artwork projections. Artwork collections ranged from visually complex abstract images to images of nature. | Not specified- nine art ‘channels,’ each with a collection of artworks | For the duration of their hospital stay- times not specified |
Pearson et al23 | USA | Pretest and post-test, between groups quasi-experimental study | Room without a window mural Randomised Blinded | Hospital- patients’ room | Paediatric patients aged 2–18) n=90 Power analysis not performed | Heart rate Systolic blood pressure | Window mural- either aquatic or forest themed | 1 | Minimum of 48 hours |
Siri et al18 | Italy | Within groups experimental study | None | Art museum | General public n=60 Power analysis not performed | Heart rate Heart rate variability | two real abstract contemporary paintings and their digitally produced replicates | 4 | 144 s per artwork |
Tschacher et al19 | Switzerland | Within groups quasi-experimental study | None | Art museum | Museum visitors n=517 (373 included in the analysis) Power analysis not performed | Skin conductance Heart rate Heart rate variability | Physical modern and contemporary art exhibition | 76 | No specific timeframe given to participants. On average, they spent 28 min at the gallery. |
Wikström et al20 | Sweden | Pretest and post-test randomised controlled trial | Group that were not shown artworks Randomised Not blinded | Senior citizen apartment | Women aged over 70 n=40 Power analysis not performed | Systolic blood pressure | Physical pictures- ranging from artworks of nature, flowers and people, abstract patterns, white figures on black backgrounds and photographs. | Not specified how many each participant viewed | Not specified |