35. ## D
Since the dawn of philosophy, thinkers from Plato to Kant have considered how beauty affects the human mind. Now, a new study from the University of Cambridge suggests that contemplating the beauty of artistic objects boosts our ability to think in abstract ways and see the bigger picture.
Researchers say engaging with beauty helps us escape the mental trappings of daily life and break our everyday patterns of thought, shifting us into a more expansive state of mind.
A team of Cambridge psychologists used the University’s modern art gallery as a living laboratory. For the study, 187 people visited an exhibition of handmade clay objects. “Ceramics (陶 瓷 ) were ideal,” said Professor Simone Schnall. “A glorious painting would be too striking. We needed art subtle in form, requiring focused contemplation.”
Participants were split into two groups. The beauty group was asked to give a rating of how beautiful each object was, while the control group simply matched a line drawing with the artwork. The rating task, though simple, made all the difference.
The beauty group scored almost 14% higher than the control group in abstract thinking, and reported greater interest in life’s bigger questions. They also felt more moved, enlightened and inspired.
Importantly, however, the beauty group felt no happier than the control group. The researchers asked about these feelings on purpose: by ruling out mood, they could pin down the true factor behind the improved thinking. It was the engagement with beauty itself, not the difficulty of the task or any passing good mood.
“People today are often tethered to their devices, thinking in very concrete terms,” added Schnall. “Admiring beauty may be the ideal way to trigger the abstract, critical thinking increasingly lost in a world of screens.” The findings, she suggests, point to a simple lesson: encouraging people to slow down and engage with beauty can sharpen the way they think.
35. What does the study encourage people to do?
D