The psychobiology of art

Psychobiology is the field of research that looks to understand the mechanisms that confer physical health benefit from psychological experiences. When attempting to understand and evidence physical health benefit from behaviour or social contexts, understanding the pathways by which this benefit may occur provides the dual advantage of making sense of the phenomenon as well as understanding who may particularly benefit from those activities that carry the positive outcomes. This chapter provides an overview of the methodological considerations that are inherent in psychobiological research that are particularly relevant to work in arts and health. Studies that have been conducted using psychobiological methods are described, and a final overview of studies that have adopted a longitudinal approach discusses findings with children and adults. Finally, future directions for the field are considered, with focus on producing meaningful, methodologically sound, and robust studies to understand the physiological impact of engaging with creative art practices.