Perception of Reality

Abstract

Audiences' perceptions of media reality—of how accurately or truthfully media portray their subject matter—are often considered as potential contributors to the strength of media effects. The terms used to describe these perceptions vary and depend on the type of material under consideration. They include realism, believability, authenticity, presence, credibility, and objectivity. Perceptions of media reality can be shaped by features of the communication technology (e.g., the resolution of a visual image), by the perceived genre (e.g., a documentary versus a fiction film), and by characteristics of the audience member such as age or motivation. Perceiving media to be more real is often associated with enjoyment, exposure, and persuasive effects. However, there are exceptions. For example, when effects are driven by emotional responses to a story, whether it is understood to be factual can be of little direct consequence to the strength of content effects.