Effects of personality traits during the exploration of museum spaces: cerebral (EEG) and autonomic (biofeedback) responses

A visit to the museum is a real aesthetic experience where the visitors feel themselves like living a spiritual moment linked to the beauty of the artworks. Aesthetic perception derived by artwork is a complex interplay of cognitive, emotional, behavioural and physiological responses. Previous studies showed that also psychological components could be responsible of aesthetic experience, so the aim of our research is to explore if, in addition to the psychophysiological level, the personality traits could have effects during exploration of different museum spaces. Our sample was composed by 18 participants (M = 23,8; DS = 1,4). They were asked to freely explore for 10 minutes each areas, starting randomly from one of the two spaces: “Leonardo Space”, a traditional museum area which contains models of Leonardo’s inventions and its drawing; “Spacial Space”, an interactive area which contains multimedia devices and objects about space like shuttles and spacesuits. During the exploration, we measured electrophysiological (by EEG) and autonomic (by Biofeedback) responses; then the participant completed a test of personality, the Big Five Questionnaire 2. After a correlational analysis, we found a significantly negative correlation between the score of Agreeableness of BFQ-2 and alpha band activity in the left frontal cortex during the exploration of the “Leonardo Space”. We suggested that subjects with higher values of Agreeableness paid more attention to Leonardo’s models with an activation of the reward system (left frontal cortex). People tried to understand the mind of the artist. Then we found a significantly negative correlation between the score of Extroversion of BFQ-2 and SCL (Skin Conductance Level), and between the score of Extroversion of BFQ-2 and PULS (heart rate) during the vision of the models of Leonardo da Vinci’s works. Increasing the values of Extroversion, subjects were more concentrated seeing the models of Leonardo’s inventions. Extroverted people, who are dynamic, imaged the movement and the function of Leonardo da Vinci’s creations. Finally, we found a significantly negative correlation between the score of Conscientiousness of BFQ-2 and SCL, and between the score of Conscientiousness of BFQ-2 and PULS during the sight of the less favourite artefact of “Leonardo Space”. Subjects were more concentrated seeing the artefact less favourite of “Leonardo Space”. Conscientious people looked meticulously the artefact less pleasant because they are scrupulous, and they have more rational view.