Interest in Arts Predicts Social Responsibility, University of Illinois Study

If you sing, dance, draw, or act -- and especially if you watch others do so -- you probably have an altruistic streak, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. People with an active interest in the arts contribute more to society than those with little or no such interest, the researchers found. They analyzed arts exposure, defined as attendance at museums and dance, music, opera and theater events; and arts expression, defined as making or performing art.