Factual

1. What is the definition of a “sublime experience”?
2. Which areas of the brain are engaged in aesthetic judgement?
3. According to the authors, how might the fear response motivate people in an evolutionary significant way?
4. What three environmental factors do the authors suggest elicit fear responses?

Evaluative

1. The author states the following: “Art is central to human life, and it is a mystery why something that does not seem essential for survival would capture our interest so intensely and become so ubiquitous in culture.” What do they mean by this, and why does it lead them to seek a way to understand art as contributing to survival?
2. Discuss the difference between top down and bottom up appreciation of art.
3. Think of a time you experiences the “sublime” (in art of real life). How could it be seen as a triggering of your survival mechanisms as per this article.
4. References- Eskine, K. J., Kacinik, N. A., & Prinz, J. J. (2012). Stirring images: Fear, not happiness or arousal, makes art more sublime. Emotion, 12(5), 1071–1074. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027200