Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, & the Arts
About Division 10
What We Study
The Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts (Division 10 of the American Psychological Association) is committed to interdisciplinary scholarship, both theoretical and empirical, encompassing the visual, literary, and performing arts.
We focus on four interrelated areas:
Aesthetics (including perception, appreciation, and judgment of beauty and artistic value)
Creativity (including developmental, motivational, affective, and cognitive processes)
The Arts (including content, form, function, and artistic expression)
Creative Arts Therapies (including therapeutic applications and healing through creative processes).
We apply personality, clinical, cognitive, neuroscientific, perceptual, physiological, and cultural psychologies to diverse artists, styles, and historical periods.
Our members explore creativity across all fields, from art and music to literature, science, and everyday life. We investigate questions such as how creators form ideas for artistic or musical compositions, how audiences respond to dance or drama, and how performers express their creativity through instrumental or vocal music.
Get Involved
Our intimate division size creates unique opportunities for meaningful member involvement through committee participation, presentations at our annual conference, and contributions to the American Psychological Association’s annual meeting.
Division 10 History
1945
Society Founded
Established in 1945 as one of American Psychological Association’s original charter divisions, Division 10 began under founding president Paul Farnsworth as the Division on Esthetics before becoming The Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
2006
Journal Founded
Launched in 2006 under founding co-editors Jeffrey Smith, Lisa Smith, and James C. Kaufman, Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts became Division 10's official peer-reviewed journal, evolving from the division's earlier newsletter and bulletin publications.
2024
Conference Founded
In March 2024, Division 10 reached a significant milestone by hosting its first independent conference in Denton, Texas, under the leadership of president Michael Mumford, establishing an annual research gathering for the society's interdisciplinary community.
For further background on Division 10’s early years, we recommend “A History of Division 10 (Psychology and the Arts): Through the Eyes of Past Presidents” by Cupchik, Arnheim, and Martindale.