Science of Arts Engagement

Agnieszka Wlazeł is Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, UK, and Vice President of Impact Foundation, Warsaw, Poland.

'Researchers have toiled for decades working to better understand the human response to art. Wlazel has pushed the envelope. My hope is that curators, artists, and producers – esp. those working in immersive paradigms – would join in this scholarly journey to better understand the levers of impact on mind, body and soul.'Alan S. Brown, Managing Principal WolfBrown 'Wlazel’s book is an important contribution to audience research. An essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary virtual culture and audience engagement in general. It shows how we can understand, measure, and value the audience experience.'Dr Aneta Mancewicz, Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre, Royal Holloway, University of London

• List of illustrative materialForeword by Professor Ben WalmsleyPrefaceAcknowledgementsChapter 1 Defining the problemChapter 2 Toward a study of experience of engagementChapter 3 Methodology – critical realism for integrating perspectivesChapter 4 Two cases – directed and semi-directed experienceChapter 5 A New Mixed-Methods Research DesignChapter 6 Bristol and Whist – internal processes of engagement in context Chapter 7 From specific data to general understandingChapter 8 Adaptative engagementChapter 9 Conclusions – shaping arts engagement studiesPost scriptum. Insights from Whist and Step to the Line artistsBibliographyAppendix A Pre-Experience QuestionnaireAppendix B Post-Experience QuestionnaireAppendix C Semi-structured interview questions – WhistAppendix D All Bristol and Whist participants – main findings from questionnaires