Why Art?

“Art is the shortest path from one human being to another human being.”
- eL Seed (French-Tunisian Artist, paraphrasing novelist André Malraux)

The Research

• Engaging in a creative activity encourages an active cognitive set toward learning that topic.
  Creative task engagement was found to be an effective means of enhancing creativity, intrinsic motivation, and long-term retention.
  
  

• Art has the power to change behavior.
  This knowledge has led to the use of art to reduce patient anxiety in emergency rooms, to help increase the enrollment of women in computer science programs, and more.
  
  

• Art increases social cohesion.
  In particular, practicing amateur art yields bonds in the relational dimension and on micro level. Both quantitative and qualitative empirical research show that confirmative art correlates with bonding cohesive behavior, challenging art correlates with bridging cohesive behavior.
  
  

• Art and visual aids prime people to be and do better.
  Consistently exposing individuals to an idea, product, or service primes them to engage with those things. These consumer behavior and advertising principles (e.g. persuasive communication) have been harnessed to reduce harmful social norms like smoking and wasteful electricity use.
  
  

• Art reduces stress.
  One study investigated the impact of visual art making on the cortisol levels of adults; results indicate that art making resulted in statistically significant lowering of cortisol levels.

Changing Beliefs & Behaviors for the Better
In a randomized control trial intervention at Duke University, we implemented a Nudge Art print campaign in freshman dorms in Spring 2019 and conducted surveys of students’ behaviors and beliefs pre- and post-intervention. The post-intervention results show a statistically-significant decrease in students’ willingness to use unnecessarily-gendered language (Mind the Adjective), and an increase in willingness to intervene when a sexist joke was made (Clean Humor).


Connecting with Colleagues, Classmates, and Community
Coming together to create something is a powerful experience. In co-creating Nudge Art, people come together in building a sense of place, sharing perspectives and ideas, and coalescing around a set of behaviors and/or beliefs that will enhance their collective experience at school, work, or home. Seeing the finished Nudge Art piece in a public space serves as a reminder of that cohesion, as well as a nudge towards the inclusive behaviors/beliefs that are promoted in the artwork.

Learning & Growth
85%+ of genEquality workshop and facilitated discussion participants report learning something new that they can implement in their daily lives. Participants report being more cognizant of their language use (greetings, adjectives); being more aware and willing to intervene when an off-color joke is made; being more conscious of their division of labor choices (Share The Work), and more.

Personal Empowerment and Ownership of Change
Our program participants consistently cite genEquality workshops, discussions, and materials as inspiration for their effort to make behavior and belief changes. Our sessions, in conjunction with our Nudge Art installations, are designed to educate, empower, and embolden individuals in the quest to make their workplaces, home environments, classrooms, and communities a microcosm of the equal, inclusive society that we all seek.