In Touch with the Past: A Sensory Approach to Objects, Memory and Wellbeing

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The rapid growth of digital media has transformed access to and engagement with museum collections. Nevertheless, encounters with physical artefacts, and particularly object handling, continue to provide powerful learning experiences. Broader empirical research is now needed to understand how individual senses contribute to learning and 'meaning-making' and to establish whether higher levels of engagement lead to improved memory and wellbeing. I will answer these questions using an innovative combination of methods and theory from psychology, archaeology, museum studies and creative practice. This will involve audience research and experimentation focusing primarily upon the University of St Andrews' Bridges Archaeology Collection.