ABSTRACT
Up to this point in time, no nationally significant studies have experimentally confirmed
that art study contributes to the overall intellectual development of students in schools.
Even when we attempt such studies, they are rarely perfect in their science and, even if
flawlessly done, still fail to positively prove anything. However, the studies that fail to
make the case also suggest that we need to revisit the claims of those who believe that art
study, in itself, can make students better citizens and learners or improve graduation rates
and school attendance, as well as what means we are now using to verify such claims. The lack
of empirical evidence to support art learning as affecting academic performance should be
looked at as a challenge that requires a second look at both the claims and the means used
to verify them.Arts advocates who are critical of experimental studies that fail to support their
point of view, claim that such studies are really not proof of anything, and that their failure to
Whether artistic forming is an act of intelligence is something rarely questioned by
Experimental Studies
ART AS INTELLECT
show that formal art study is a better way to effect cognitive abilities may really be due to
the failure of existing test instruments to measure the behavioral gains achieved through
such experiments. Although partially correct, the argument can also be made that the
instruments used in these studies do have established national norms and are statistically
reliable and valid, especially with regard to measuring general cognitive ability.
