The The Impact of an Art History Education on Short-Term Memory Rates in High School Students

Abstract

Despite their value, art programs are declining in schools as a result of a rise in standardized testing. Reinstating funding to the arts begins with highlighting their benefits, such as short-term memory, as necessary for career preparedness. Students in Westlake High School’s Art History program allegedly encoded details from learned artworks into their short-term memory, but it remained unknown if the memory loop was simply perceived by students or occurred due to enrollment in the Art History courses. Previous research in the field addressed art analysis and short-term memory respectively, but the two factors had not been linked, inspiring the question: How Does Pursuing an Art History Education Impact Short-Term Memory Rates in High School Students? The researcher replicated George Miller’s Digit Span Test and hypothesized higher memory rates among the Art History students with improved test scores among successive course levels. Recorded variables included Digit Span Test scores and accuracy rates out of 10, while student grade level, Honors course enrollment, and AP course enrollment were collected to minimize confounding variables in scores. Results revealed that all Art History courses had higher mean Digit Span Test scores and accuracy rates than the general population at Westlake High School, while the confounding variables showed no trend with scores. The researcher’s hypothesis was correct, and the findings may prompt lawmakers to reinstate funding to school art programs amidst budget cuts. Future research might consider expanding the findings beyond Westlake High School and linking other art forms to short-term memory.   

Keywords: Art History, Short-Term Memory, Digit Span Test