Progress Report
Protecting children's intellectual curiosity and individuality to realize a dynamic society[2] Visualizing the Effects of Art Intervention
Progress until FY2023
1. Outline of the project
The aim of this study is to establish objective endocrine and psychophysiological indicators that capture the improvement in mental well-being and social curiosity resulting from artistic activities, with the goal of providing art activities that allow children and adolescents with challenges in social skills and characteristics associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to enhance their sociability while feeling at ease.
- Prepare the field for conducting face-to-face/remote Art Workshop Sessions (AWS) targeting children and begin collecting data on hormonal fluctuations in saliva.
- Develop a wearable small-scale electrocardiogram measurement system.
- Develop a face-to-face detection app and a motion visualization system.
- Initiate heart rate measurement in face-to-face AWS sessions targeting adults and accelerometer measurement using the face-to-face app, and evaluate the implementation protocol.
- Conduct a questionnaire survey on art activities and enhance the content.
2. Outcome so far
<Art Workshop>
Compared to typically developing children of the same age, children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) have shown larger changes in salivary oxytocin and cortisol concentrations when participating in face-to-face or remote AWS (Art Workshop Support) sessions up to the fiscal year 2022. Based on this, in the fiscal year 2023, we continued collecting data on changes in salivary oxytocin and cortisol concentrations during AWS sessions for children with ASD. As a result, it was suggested that for children with ASD, conducting remote AWS sessions with four or fewer participants can reduce stress and provide a higher sense of satisfaction. This indicates that creating an environment conducive to interaction in small groups can enhance the secretion of endogenous oxytocin during art-making activities.
Additionally, we conducted two types of face-to-face AWS sessions using music content (Desktop Music): individual and collaborative creation. In both individual and collaborative creation sessions, participants reported increased happiness and relaxation on the Visual-Analog Scale administered before and after the activities. There was also an observed increase in salivary oxytocin concentrations and a decrease in cortisol concentrations. Notably, in individual creation activities, where participants engaged deeply and interacted more with the facilitator, there was a significant increase in salivary oxytocin concentrations. These results have been compiled and submitted as a paper.
3. Future plans
The results so far suggest that fluctuations in salivary hormones may reflect interactions and bonds among participants during AWS (Autism Work Support). While continuing to develop AWS to be more suitable for children with ASD, we will also investigate whether the addition of content such as music appreciation can capture the stress-relieving effects, satisfaction, and sense of accomplishment from artistic activities. By doing so, we will continue to evaluate the usefulness of these indicators in demonstrating the effects of artistic activities. In addition, we will strengthen collaboration with community halls and other venues to promote the implementation of these activities in schools and society.