Artistic Tasks Outperform Nonartistic Tasks for Stress Reduction

Abstract

Art making has been documented as an effective stress reduction technique. In this between-subjects experimental study, possible mechanisms of stress reduction were examined in a sample of 52 university students randomly assigned to one of four conditions generated by factorially crossing Activity Type (artistic or nonartistic) with Coping Approach (active or passive). Stress levels were measured at baseline, after stress induction tasks, and after the stress reduction manipulation. Results indicated that all experimental stress reduction tasks reduced average stress levels. However, artistic activities yielded significantly greater stress reduction than matched nonartistic activities, supporting the potential therapeutic effectiveness of specifically artistic tasks for stress reduction.

Acknowledgments

Editor's Note: Kayleigh A. Abbott, BSc, is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. She is currently a graduate student in psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Matthew J. Shanahan, MSc, is a doctoral candidate in the Psychology Department at the University of Western Ontario. Richard W. J. Neufeld, PhD, CP, FAAP, FCAHS, is a professor in the departments of psychology and psychiatry and Core Faculty Member of the Neuro-Psychiatry Division of the University of Western Ontario.