This paper considers the effect of social interaction on art museum behavior and cognitive/ aesthetic experience, arguing that social interaction may represent one of the potentially most detrimental elements in museum-based viewing of art-calling into question the current push to increase social interactions through museum social and knowledge media design. This is considered through three case studies with the same works of art, varying only design elements creating social interaction and considering the differences this creates. Through a psychological viewpoint, these cases are considered and social interaction's effect is presented, considering how these findings might connect to museum and general conceptions of social and knowledge media design.