This entry describes human artistic engagement across the lifespan and associated developmental outcomes. Art is categorized by four modalities: dance, drama, music, and visual art. The stages of development discussed are early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The entry describes the origins of early artistic activity, followed by a summary of art, culture, and society. It then explains underlying processes of how art increases adaptive cognitive and socioemotional development and briefly reviews each developmental stage in relation to artistic engagement and outcomes.

Artistic expression is sharing thoughts, ideas, values, or emotions conveyed through visual or [Page 147]physical modes. Examples of traditional art forms include literature (e.g., poetry, short stories, novels), visual arts (e.g., paintings, drawings, sculptures), graphic arts (e.g., designs on flat surfaces in contrast to three ...