Poster #86 - Visual Arts Activities Relate to Interest and Cortisol for Children in Head Start Preschool

• In Event: Poster Session 06

Abstract

Visual arts activities hold demonstrated potential for alleviating stress and promoting emotion regulation for both children and adults (Brechet et al., 2020; Drake & Winner, 2013; Kaimal et al., 2016; Toyoshima et al., 2011). This potential may be particularly important for children who face high levels of stress related to poverty and systemic racism (Brown et al., 2019; Miller et al., 2009). The present study examines visual arts classes in the context of a Head Start preschool and seeks to identify particular aspects of these classes that are associated with greater experience of positive emotions and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol for young children facing economic adversity.

The first aim of the study was to replicate prior findings showing that visual arts classes relate to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and greater observed interest for preschool children facing economic hardship. The second aim was to extend findings by examining the effects of different visual arts activities (clay, painting, drawing, and art making with a teacher) on cortisol and observed interest.

Method
Participants were 72 children who attended a Head Start preschool and were randomly assigned to participate in different schedules of arts and homeroom classes. Of participants, 42% were female and 36% were Black/African Heritage. Child age ranged from 3 to 5 years (M = 4 yrs, 2 mo). Nearly all children had family-to-income needs ratios that fell under the threshold for low-income status.

Children were videorecorded in preschool classes and a well validated observational system (Affex, Izard et al., 1989) was applied to measure observed emotion in 1min intervals across a 15 minute interval, during which visual arts activities also were coded.

Children provided salivary samples at multiple times of day and high sensitivity immunoassays tested levels of the stress hormone cortisol, measured in units of logarithm of ug/dL. The timing of cortisol sampling was designed based on current standards (Gunnar & Adam, 2012) to assess stress levels during the 15min videorecorded observation block.

Results and Interpretation
The first hierarchical model (see Table 1) was designed to examine the first hypothesis. Consistent with expectations, results of this hierarchical linear model indicated that children showed greater interest and lower cortisol in visual arts classes compared to all other classes.

The second and third hierarchical linear models (summarized in Table 2) were designed to examine the effects of different visual arts activities in relation to interest and cortisol, respectively. The model for interest revealed that drawing, painting, and art-making with a teacher were associated with greater interest. The model for cortisol showed that art-making with a teacher related statistically to lower cortisol levels.

Teacher involvement may be a key factor in the effects of visual art on both stress and interest. Future studies might extend this study by examining the particular types of teacher involvement that predict child emotions and stress and comparing teacher involvement in arts versus regular early-learning classes.

Authors

• Suzanne Varnell, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Presenting Author

• Ellie Brown, West Chester University

• Steven J. Holochwost

• Dennie Palmer Wolf, WolfBrown

• Alyssa Allen, West Chester University

• Jessa Malatesta

• Mallory Leigh Garnett, University of Delaware

• Blanca Velazquez-Martin