The Role of Semantic Inhibition in Aesthetic Appreciation: fNIRS Evidence from Poetry Reading
Year: 2024
Type: preprint
Abstract: Background Aesthetic education is pivotal in shaping a comprehensive and harmonious humanity. However, the transition from semantic comprehension to aesthetic appreciation remains poorly understood. This study, informed by transactional theory, sought to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms of aesthetic reading by examining its neural dynamics through functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Methods Participants were tasked with reading Tang poetry aesthetically, with fNIRS monitoring brain activity in frontal and temporal regions. Results Compared to an efferent reading task, the aesthetic reading task revealed a distinct three-stage neural dynamic pattern. Initially, aesthetic reading showed similar HbO activation in all regions, likely indicating the semantic processing phase. This was followed by a divergence, with a decrease in HbO over the left primary somatosensory cortex and the left superior, inferior, and middle temporal gyri, suggesting inhibition of semantic processing. Finally, a resurgence of activity in these areas was observed, along with an increase in HbO over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which could be associated with memory, imagination, and empathy. This reactivation correlated with participants’ self-reported aesthetic appreciation scores. Contribution The findings reveal the temporal and spatial dynamics of brain activity during aesthetic reading, enhancing our comprehension of underlying cognitive processes.
Authors: Huishu Liu, Xiaomeng Xu, Wanyan Sun, Dan Zhang, Yu Zhang
Institutions: South China Normal University, Tsinghua University
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4403376226