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Participants in the positive-focus condition show a significant stress decrease, while those in the negative-focus condition show a slight increase (p\u003C.05). Results support the idea that art making provides a “creative high,” with further long-term follow-up needed to evaluate related art-therapy effects.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/assessing-stress-reduction-as-a-function-of-artistic-creation-and-cognitive-focus/592228/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/assessing-stress-reduction-as-a-function-of-artistic-creation-and-cognitive-focus/592228.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Grenda","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-10","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"How did the study test stress reduction across conditions?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The study compared stress-level changes across two-participant conditions with artistic activity combined with cognitive focus on either personally stressful or positive situations.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What were the main stress-related results?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Participants in the positive-focus condition showed a significant decrease in stress, whereas participants in the negative-focus condition showed a slight increase (p\u003C.05).",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Why does the document link art therapy to emotional processing and catharsis?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It describes art therapy as using art to facilitate therapeutic growth, noting that both the process and the finished work support self-reflection and emotional expression, which may improve mood and self-esteem.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},592228,1792074129,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":143,"preview_page_count":4},7971474921005,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Assessing Stress Reduction as a Function of Artistic Creation and Cognitive Focus  \nKrista Curl, Grand Forks, ND  \nAbstract  \nIn this outcomes study (N =40), changes in stress levels were compared across twoparticipant conditions for aperiod of artistic activity with a cognitive focus on either a personally stressful orpositive situation. Results indicated that participants in the positive-focus condition demonstrated a significant decrease in stress, whereas participants in the negative-focus condition demonstrated a slight increase in stress (p \u003C . 05). These findings on stress reduction give strength to the hypothesis that art making is a means of receiving a “creative high”(Foster, 1992), although long-term follow-up is necessary to adequately assess this phenomenon as it may pertain to art therapy.  \nIntroduction  \nArt therapy has a firmly established history as a profession, yet many researchers have documented a relative lack of quantitative data attesting to the reliability and validity of art therapy (Betts & Laloge, 2000; Malchiodi, 1995) . This study addresses the need for data on the effectiveness of art therapy by looking at the effect of creativity on an emotional process. In order to be conducive to a quantitative study, and to narrow the research focus, stress reduction was identified as a quantitative measure that could be assessed as a function of artistic activity. In reviewing the existing literature on art therapy and stress reduction, the different facets of art therapy and the importance of creativity to mental health are discussed first. Active and passive methods of stress reduction within art therapy are then compared, followed by consideration of the relationship between cognitive focus and artistic creation.  \nArt therapy is described as a kind of psychological therapy that uses art as a tool for facilitating therapeutic growth (Moon, 1994) . Art is a flexible medium for this purpose due to the wide range of methods that qualify as art, including writing, dancing, music, painting, woodworking, or collage making. There are a variety of sources that contributed to the historical development of the field. For example, McConeghy (2003) identified art therapy’s roots in art education with its emphasis on the nature of  \nEditor’s note: Krista Curl, BA is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado where she completed this research study. She is currently a graduate student at the University of North Dakota. Correspondence concerning this article may be addressed to the [author at krista.curl@und.edu. Special](author at krista.curl@und.edu. Special) thanks to Lisa Comer, PhD, at the University of Northern Colorado, for her help with the study and research report.  \nthe relationship between a person and the works that person creates. By leading “students to an appreciation of the living God within,” (p. v), some teachers stepped beyond the field of education to help pioneer the practice of art therapy. Both artwork and the process of making art require self-reflection, the cornerstone of psychotherapy.  \nArt Therapy as Catharsis  \nOne benefit of art therapy may be the positive effect it can have on mood. Grodner, Braff, Janowsky, and Clopton (1982) assessed the effects ofa combined program of movement therapy and art therapy on individuals’ self-perceived moods. Participants were placed in one of three treatment groups: a directed art/movement activity group, a nondirected art activity group, and a no-treatment group. In the directed art/movement treatment group, participants were asked to complete an art project in dyads without verbal communication. Needs had to be expressed through body language and gestures only. In the non-directed art treatment group, participants were given art materials and were simply asked to experiment with the materials. The nontreatment group did not engage in any art or movement. The Profile of Mood States was used to assess mood and stress levels before and after treatm","cbCaipdP1cyGpXZL","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipdP1cyGpXZL","pdf",180935,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n## Art therapy effectiveness and creativity\n## Stress reduction as a quantitative measure\n# Art Therapy as Catharsis\n## Mood improvement and treatment groups","[{\"question\":\"How did the study test stress reduction across conditions?\",\"answer\":\"The study compared stress-level changes across two-participant conditions with artistic activity combined with cognitive focus on either personally stressful or positive situations.\"},{\"question\":\"What were the main stress-related results?\",\"answer\":\"Participants in the positive-focus condition showed a significant decrease in stress, whereas participants in the negative-focus condition showed a slight increase (p\\u003c.05).\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the document link art therapy to emotional processing and catharsis?\",\"answer\":\"It describes art therapy as using art to facilitate therapeutic growth, noting that both the process and the finished work support self-reflection and emotional expression, which may improve mood and self-esteem.\"}]","Assessing Stress Reduction as a Function of Artistic Creation and Cognitive Focus | PDF",15]