Across two studies, the researchers found that art engagement significantly enhanced emotional responses, with participants reporting feelings of awe, fascination, and being deeply moved by the artworks. In addition to these emotional responses, participants also experienced eudaimonic outcomes, such as reflective thinking and gaining insights about life and the human condition.

However, while art engagement clearly enriched personal aesthetic experiences, the findings did not support the hypothesis that it improves social cognitive skills. Neither engaging with art nor focusing deeply on the emotional content of the artworks boosted participants' performance on tasks measuring Theory of Mind or emotion recognition abilities. Even when participants were asked to engage more deeply with the characters and stories depicted in the artworks, the expected benefits on social cognition did not materialize.

These results suggest that although art has the power to move individuals emotionally and provoke deep reflection, its effects on social cognitive skills may be more limited than anticipated. While previous research has shown that engagement with literary fiction and theatre can enhance social cognition, this study highlights that different forms of art may not have the same influence. The researchers emphasize that the effects of art engagement are nuanced and vary across different domains of art and types of engagement, pointing to the need for further research in this area.