Welcome Dr. Daniela Angelina Jelinčić, visiting Fulbright Scholar, hosted by the College of Environment and Design

The College of Environment and Design (CED) has a special visitor this year: Fulbright Scholar and professor Dr. Daniela Jelinčić is being hosted for the academic year 2019/2020 by Professor James Reap, coordinator of the Historic Preservation program at CED. Her research topic is Sensory Stimuli and Their Impact on Basic Emotions in the Experience Economy. She holds a Ph.D. in Ethnology from the University of Zagreb. Her specific interests are in cultural tourism, cultural heritage management, cultural/creative industries, cultural policy, creativity, the experience economy, and social innovations. 

“This is a good example of one of the advantages of study abroad—meeting people like Daniela Jelinčić and establishing international academic relationships. We first met her on one of our Croatia trips and subsequently she taught classes for our students on cultural tourism. It is a pleasure to be able to host her here in Athens,“ says Reap.

Jelinčić is a senior research adviser and full professor employed by the Institute for International Relations (IRMO) in Zagreb. As an adjunct professor, she teaches cultural tourism, cultural heritage management, creative industries, international cultural cooperation and social innovations at the University of Zagreb, Zagreb School of Business, University College of International Relations and Diplomacy Dag Hammarskjöld in Zagreb and at the UNESCO Chair for Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Institute for Advanced Studies (iASK) in Köszeg, Hungary.

Dr. Jelinčić is the author of several scientific books (Innovations in Culture and Development: The Culturinno Effect in Public Policy; ABC of Cultural Tourism; Culture in a Shop Window; Culture, Tourism, Interculturalism). She is co-editor of the book Creating and Managing Experiences in Cultural Tourism, as well as of a number of scientific articles and book chapters. She has served as the Council of Europe expert for cultural tourism and has coordinated or participated in a number of national and international interdisciplinary research projects in the fields of cultural heritage, cultural tourism, creative industries, cultural and tourism policies.

Can you relate the study of historic preservation to your research work?

Historic preservation tends to preserve not only the physical aspects of the building/district but to retain a sense of place. Of course, this is primarily determined by the purpose and content of the building but it also depends on a number of factors which can be designed as to purposefully create atmosphere around it, such as colors, forms, symmetry, etc. as visual tools. If accompanied with other sensory tools (e.g. through acoustics, touch-related cues), they can create synesthetic experiences and offer a visitor/citizen a sensation of being immersed in the place, practically feeling the sense of place. 

How do you measure people's emotions and responses to cultural sites?

Cultural sites usually apply self-reporting measures (such as questionnaires) which are limited to measuring satisfaction. Also, observation methods are sometimes applied which can basically detect interest but not exact emotional response by visitors. Previous research studies have also mainly focused on different self-reporting measures which provide us with some information but are not precise enough as to detect the difference between perceived and felt (induced) emotions.

Somewhat better results have been achieved with psychophysiological measures (such as Galvanic skin response, heart rate, eye movement tracking, EEG) which can detect changes in one's bodily response. Today, however, science can take advantage of the advancement of brain imaging technologies (especially fMRI) to see what exactly happens in the brain during its exposure to a certain sensory stimulus. Thus, linking brain science and art can greatly contribute to our understanding of indisputable emotional responses to works of art.

Do you have any thoughts so far about Athens, Georgia, or the Southeast yet that make you glad you came here?

Athens, given its contemporary music history, seems like an experience itself. It has its vibe already interwoven in the city texture, which accompanied with the University-related lifestyle makes it special. Besides that, there's something that experience design studies can neither scientifically nor practically prescribe, and it is the openness, helpfulness, politeness, and cordiality of Athens' citizens. It cannot be artificially designed, it is just what and how Athens is...

While Dr. Jelinčić is here to do research, she also welcomes conversations and class discussions with colleagues and students here at UGA. She can be reached by email:Daniela.Jelincic@uga.edu.