ERIC Number: EJ1471282
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2365-7464
Available Date: 2025-05-13
The Impact of Wearing a Heart Rate Monitoring Wristband on Museum Visitors' Memory and Emotions: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nicola Vasta1,2; Margherita Andrao1,3; Barbara Treccani1; Denis Isaia4; Claudio Mulatti1
Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, v10 Article 20 2025
Advances in technology have enabled museum curators to employ equipment that can measure visitors' physiological responses, offering a means to monitor these responses, while, at the same time, potentially engaging visitors. However, it is unclear whether these devices genuinely promote a positive experience or, conversely, are perceived as intrusive monitoring tools. Following traditional theories linking physiological responses, emotions and memory, we tested whether wearing a heart rate monitoring wristband during a temporary art exhibition could affect visitors' emotions and if emotional changes due to this manipulation could, in turn, affect the long-term memory of the artworks. Our findings show that using such a device heightened pleasant emotions experienced by visitors and improved their memory of the exhibit. These effects were still present even after six days from the visit. Moreover, we found that providing fake feedback concerning the emotions experienced in a specific room increased visitors' memory of artworks within that room. Our results are encouraging regarding the use of these technologies in museum exhibitions and bring evidence that they can enhance visitors' experiences, regardless of their accuracy.
Descriptors: Memory, Museums, Psychological Patterns, Metabolism, Art, Measurement Equipment, Foreign Countries, Adults, Exhibits
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Italy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://osf.io/dqv6g/
Author Affiliations: 1University of Trento, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Rovereto, Italy; 2University of Windsor, Human Systems Lab, Department of Kinesiology, Windsor, Canada; 3Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento, Italy; 4Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto (MART), Rovereto, Italy