In the article “What is Art for”, Dissanayake coined the term “paleoanthropsychobiological”. “Paleoanthropsychobiological” is an adjective that is quite literally stunning. It is associated with human history, human societies and it accounts that “art is a psychological or emotional need and has psychological or emotional” (15).

According to Dissanayake, “make special” means “one cares deeply about or activities whose outcome has strong personal significance” (22). She also points out that “special” is extra-ordinary, and “special” could take on importance that was more than simply alertness to possible danger. It relates to the beginning of a behavior of art. She gives an example of using red color to make special in 250,000 years ago. Also, in hunting society, “behavior made special is as much a part of preparation for the hunt as readying spears or arrows” (23). Art, as a behavior of making special, refers to objects such as paintings, pictures, dances, musical compositions. They are the result of artistic behavior.

Dissanayak identifies several different theories of art throughout western European history. The first theory is “Modernism”. It was developed in 18^th century. Modernism refers to “a special frame of mind for appreciating works of art”, which is a “disinterested” attitude that is separate from one’s own personal interest in the object. The second theory is “Postmodernism”.  It is “a point of view that calls into question two centuries of assumptions about the elite and special nature of art” (19). People can interpret one’s gender, nation, religion, class and profession through art objects. The last one is “Art for life’s sake”, which is her paleoanthropsychobiological view. She thinks art is a universal need and propensity of the human species.