Emotionality differences between artists and scientists.

Advanced art and science students were compared on measures of emotionality and subjective well-being. Consistent with traditional findings, artists were found to experience more frequent negative affectivity, more anxiety symptoms, and more global symptomology. Artists were also higher in affect intensity, were no different from scientists in life satisfaction or positive affect, and listed fewer strivings to contain or control emotional experience. Results are discussed in terms of affect-intensity and arousal regulation theory (Diener and Larsen, 1987). (A)