Award Winners for Volume 14
Promoting Well-Being in the Museum: The ASBA Project Research Protocol
The ASBA (Anxiety, Stress, Brain-friendly Museum, Approach) project aims to assess a group of methodologies (Mindfulness, Art Therapy, VTS, and Green Art) that can be offered by both art and science museums to valorize their collections and improve visitors' well-being. It also tries to involve audiences that are not familiar with museums. This project has been developed based on a research protocol approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Milano-Bicocca. This paper describes the experimental design of the study which involves the methods listed above, assessed in two different environments: a fine arts museum and a scientific museum. The construct of well-being is operationalized as a state of anxiety. So, the main measure that is used to test the effect of the procedures is the change in the state of anxiety measured through the State Anxiety Inventory (SAI). As an exploratory variable, the participants' electrocortical profile is also recorded through the use of a wearable, wireless BCI.
The opportunity to publish the ASBA research protocol has emphasized the critical role that museums can play in enhancing individual and collective wellbeing. This paper contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the positive impact of cultural institutions on mental and physical health, reinforcing the notion that museums are not only spaces of preservation and education but also active agents in public wellbeing.
One of the fundamental contributions of this research lies in its methodological framework. By providing a rigorously designed research protocol, this study demonstrates how museums can integrate scientific approaches to systematically assess their impact. The establishment of a replicable research design allows for the collection of consistent and comparable data across different museum settings, enabling a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between cultural engagement and wellbeing. In turn, this fosters a broader interdisciplinary dialogue among museum practitioners, policymakers, and researchers across various fields, including psychology, public health, and neuroscience. Furthermore, the protocol integrates health-related technologies (e.g., brain-computer interfaces) to enhance the assessment of the museum experience impact. Future research should advance this approach by incorporating a combination of methods, including wearable wireless devices, artificial intelligence, and psychophysiological evaluations, to better tailor interventions to individuals' specific needs. Our research represents a significant milestone in this direction.
Beyond its academic significance, this publication carries practical implications for the cultural sector. Museums often struggle to secure funding; by offering a research-backed approach to evaluating impact, this protocol equips museums with a valuable tool to advocate for financial support more effectively. Scientific evidence strengthens funding applications, enabling cultural institutions to demonstrate their tangible social contributions and positioning them as essential stakeholders in public health initiatives.
In recent years, the conversation around museum-based interventions for health and wellbeing has gained momentum, yet many initiatives remain anecdotal or lack robust evaluation methods. The ASBA research protocol addresses this gap by providing a structured approach that can be adapted to different types of museums, ensuring that wellbeing-focused programs are not only innovative but also scientifically validated.
This publication represents a step forward in demonstrating that cultural institutions can actively contribute to scientific research rather than merely serving as passive subjects of study. It reaffirms the commitment to fostering collaborations between museums and research institutions, ensuring that cultural spaces remain dynamic environments for inquiry, reflection, and evidence-based practice.
—Claudio Lucchiari, Maria Elide Vanutelli, Vincenza Ferrara, Raffaella Folgieri, and Annalisa Banzi