Epilogue

In the closing chapter of this volume, the authors highlight conceptual, methodological, technical, and speculative issues that emerge from the collection and that they believe point to important future directions for the field of neuroaesthetics. One fundamental question that runs implicitly through the collection and is answered variously by the authors is what is meant by “aesthetics.” We note, too, opportunities for new lines of research that will significantly advance the models and applied relevance of neuroaesthetics. Such studies might address cross-cultural tests of neuroaesthetic theories, temporal dimensions of aesthetic engagement, multimodal experiences, neurochemical mechanisms, neuropsychological investigations of aesthetic experience, naturalistic experimental designs, and the impact of artificial intelligence and other technologies on our conceptions of art and creativity.

Cerebral Hemispheric Dominance and Lateralization. Examination methods and procedures

On the basis of electrophysiological and neuropsychological investigations the existence of cerebral hemispheric dominance has been established. Thus, a certain psycho-behavioural function may not be equally governed by either the left or the right hemisphere, a tendency towards lateralization coming into play (Sperri, 1974; Arseni, Golu, Dănăilă, 1983; Funnell, Carballis, Gazzanga, 2000). The functional asymmetry of the analysers is encountered both at the peripheral level, through the sensory-motor lateralization of paired receptors, and at the cortical level, through the asymmetrical functioning of the cerebral hemispheres. Consequently, tests for hemispheric dominance, as well as tests for lateralization must, respectively, be employed. When examining cerebral hemispheric dominance and lateralization, the characteristics of the organs under investigation are taken into account, and so is the age of the subjects. The examination of functional asymmetry in the case of analyzers with paired receptors has relied on an impressive number of trials, procedures, tests and questionnaires on lateralization, all suitable for the subjects’ age and for the psycho-physiological characteristics of the respective couple of paired organs. The combined use of lateralization tests specifically adapted for all paired organs (hand, eye, is essential in order to establish the degree of lateralization homogeneity. The examinations and the calculation of the laterality index are to be done periodically, the results being recorded in a chart that reflects the evolution of lateralization as a result of engaging the child in various activities meant for a specific type of lateralization.

Stories and the Promotion of Social Cognition

Engaging with fictional stories and the characters within them might help us better understand our real-world peers. Because stories are about characters and their interactions, understanding stories might help us to exercise our social cognitive abilities. Correlational studies with children and adults, experimental research, and neuropsychological investigations have all helped develop our understanding of how stories relate to social cognition. However, there remain a number of limitations to the current evidence, some puzzling results, and several unanswered questions that should inspire future research. This review traces multiple lines of evidence tying stories to social cognition and raises numerous critical questions for the field.

Linking Numbers to Space

Several psychophysical and neuropsychological investigations suggest that the processing of number and spatial information is strongly associated. A popular account argues that this association has its origin in the underlying mental representation of numbers taking the form of a horizontally-orientated mental number line, which is isomorphic to the representation of physical lines. Recently, however, several alternative explanations have been put forward. We describe those theories and argue that no current account is on itself able to explain the full range of observations. To do this, a hybrid account is proposed which takes into account the underlying representation, but emphasizes the processing mechanisms required by the task at hand.