Examining science and art collaborations through a social psychology lens reveals the need for third spaces

SciArt is an emerging field that seeks to bring together art and science. Numerous SciArt spaces and initiatives exist, bridging the gap between the two and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. However, personal and interpersonal obstacles have been identified for both artists and scientists within the context of SciArt collaborations and environments. Here, we first introduce some key concepts about SciArt and then leverage theories from social psychology in the study of group dynamics, including social and group identity, group norms, and minoritydissent and influence, to examine artist-scientist collaborations and their challenges. Drawing on social psychology frameworks, our goal is to inform and encourage the creation of Third Spaces that identify common ground between practitioners, foster balanced interactions, build shared group identity and new norms, and ultimately move beyond discipline-specific institutionalized dynamics.