The experimental psychology in the museum: the case of priming at the Pinacoteca di Brera
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Copyright (c) 2026 Annalisa Banzi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/4139Keywords:
Priming, Museum, Psychology, Visitor Experience, Learning, EmotionAbstract
This paper presents an experimental study carried out at the Pinacoteca di Brera (Milan) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of semantic, visual, and combined priming in enhancing the museum experience. The objective is to explore the potential of this implicit memory mechanism in promoting learning, emotional wellbeing, and pro-environmental attitudes, building on and refining a pilot study previously conducted at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. The experimental design involved 161 participants divided into four groups and employed psychometric tools administered before and after the visit. The research, based on a research protocol approved by the Ethics Committee of the Università del Sacro Cuore di Milano, conducted in a real-world ecological context, highlights the potential to transform the museum into a cognitive and social laboratory. It proposes a replicable model for investigating cognitive and emotional processes in museum settings, while also enhancing the value of collections and supporting the institution’s mission.
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