Dancing robots: aesthetic engagement is shaped by stimulus and knowledge cues to human animacy.

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) and robots are increasingly shaping the aesthetic preferences of art consumers, influencing how they perceive and engage with artistic works. This development raises various questions: do cues to the humanness of the origin of an artwork or artist influence our aesthetic preferences?.

Methods: Across two experiments, we investigated how the perception and appreciation of dance is influenced by cues to human animacy.

Aesthetic evaluation of body movements shaped by embodied and arts experience: Insights from behaviour and fNIRS.

Aesthetic appreciation of full-body movements is likely shaped by our cumulative bodily experiences, yet most of the extant literature in this domain has focused on expertise and familiarity. We ran two experiments exploring individual differences in embodied experience and experience with the arts: In Study 1, we explored how participants' (n = 41) abilities to learn a choreography shaped their aesthetic perceptions while viewing learned vs. unknown movements, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure cortical activation over the Action Observation Network (i.

The use of dance to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults: A global scoping review of research trials.

Background: Dance is a promising health resource for older adults, but empirical evidence remains inconsistent. The lack of synthesised evidence regarding program design, dose, and delivery limits understanding of factors influencing participation and health outcomes. This scoping review aimed to map the scope, range, and effectiveness of dance programs for older people, and identify gaps and opportunities for future research and practice.

Mutual gaze and movement synchrony boost observers' enjoyment and perception of togetherness when watching dance duets.

As social beings, we are adept at coordinating our body movements and gaze with others. Often, when coordinating with another person, we orient ourselves to face them, as mutual gaze provides valuable cues pertaining to attention and intentions. Moreover, movement synchrony and mutual gaze are associated with prosocial outcomes, yet the perceptual consequences of these forms of coordination remain poorly understood.