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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Cognition and cultural mediation: The influence

of semantic priming on the perception of a
painting

1†
Anna Beatriz Vieira Muniz Donatelli * , Giovane Diniz , Ana Raisa da Luz ,
1
1†
and Marília Nunes-Silva 2
1 Program in Arts, State University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
2 Department of Music, School of Music Education, State University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte,
Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract
The information about artworks presented in artistic exhibitions serves a crucial
function of cultural mediation. Texts offered to the public in an exhibition can
induce the perception and interpretation of an artwork. This research aimed to
verify the extent to which the presentation of a text can influence the perception of
visual artwork. We hypothesized that the semantic priming provided by a text can
induce the participants’ interpretation of an artwork. Sixty undergraduate pedagogy
students participated in the study, randomly divided into three groups with each
† These authors contributed equally containing 20 individuals. In this research, participants were instructed to observe
to this work.
an image of a painting and subsequently marked the figurative elements they
*Corresponding author: could identify. Before that, the first group received the correct textual information
Anna Beatriz Vieira Muniz Donatelli
(Anna.donatelli@ufop.edu.br) before observing the painting; the second group received a fictitious text unrelated
to the painting’s theme; and the third group performed the task without receiving
Citation: Donatelli ABVM, Diniz G, any information. We found that there was a significant difference between the
da Luz AR, Nunes-Silva M.
Cognition and cultural mediation: recurrences of original and fictitious words and between the original and random
The influence of semantic priming words. Therefore, this study brought greater clarity regarding the effects of semantic
on the perception of a painting. Arts priming on the perception of artworks.
& Communication. 2024;2(3):2105.
doi: 10.36922/ac.2105
Received: October 25, 2023 Keywords: Cultural mediation; Priming; Visual interpretation
Accepted: February 20, 2024
Published Online: June 26, 2024
1. Introduction
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the When contemplating an artwork in a gallery or any other art exhibition space, the
Creative Commons Attribution- audiences are on the receiving end of various forms of information concerning the
Noncommercial License, permitting
all non-commercial use, distribution, artwork. This information can be indirect, such as the texts on the wall, or direct, such
and reproduction in any medium, as that transmitted by an art educator. How this information is presented constitutes
1
provided the original work is
properly cited. one of the functions of cultural mediation. In museums and cultural centers, mediation
strategies can be designed to enhance visitors’ experiences in exhibitions, and the
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with appreciation of the arts can offer viewers opportunities for knowledge, reflection, and
regard to jurisdictional claims in discovery of new cultural practices. It also facilitates the development of their sensitivity,
published maps and institutional
affiliations. creativity, and a critical understanding of artwork. 2

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.2105