Reading between the lines: LLMs match or exceed human empathic accuracy using text alone

Traditional public relations research, constrained by a rationalist paradigm, has not clearly demonstrated the existence and role of emotional factors. Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas addresses, however, provide a model for emotional mobilization in the public relations process. Based on the emotional shift in public relations, this study uses a grounded approach to analyze the texts of Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas speeches from 2011 to 2021, exploring how the Queen mobilizes collective emotions and constructs a connection between the British Royal Family and the public through her Christmas addresses. The study finds that the Queen manages positive and negative emotions at the emotional groundwork level, balances the positions of the Royal Family and the public at the content subject level, cultivates trust through emotional narratives, and calls for community cohesion and collective value identification at the outcome-oriented level. These three levels are progressively progressive and mutually supportive. From a theoretical perspective, this study attempts to propose an implementation process for the continuous infusion and reinforcement of emotion in public relations behavior; from an applied perspective, it aims to highlight the importance of emotional factors in public relations research and provide new approaches for organizational managers to optimize emotional public relations.

Though emotional problems spread worldwide, existing emotion monitoring and regulation (EMR) tools often fail to capture the complexity of everyday experiences. Empowered by AI-driven technology, recent HCI researchers have begun to examine how these emotional technologies affect people across social contexts. However, less is known about how users conceptualize AI-supported emotion monitoring and regulation workflows in non-clinical contexts, particularly from a design-oriented, qualitative perspective. To address this gap, we conducted six focus group sessions with 30 participants from diverse backgrounds in non-clinical contexts. Our study reveals a wide range of emotional narratives, expectations, and concerns regarding AI-based emotion monitoring and regulation strategies. Our findings reframe AI not as a healer but as a helper, and offer design implications for future EMR systems. Building on these insights, we propose a design-oriented, user-informed hybrid EMR workflow that integrates AI’s strengths in routine and reactive tasks with the irreplaceable nuance of human judgment.

Local food, as a key tourism resource in agricultural heritage sites, reflects traditional lifestyles and human–nature relationships. The growing influence of social media, particularly TikTok, has transformed the interaction between local food and tourism, yet this transformation remains insufficiently understood. Using the Xinhua Ziquejie Terraces, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) site in China, as a case, this study explores an emerging phenomenon: farmers acting as rural influencers who promote local food through social media. Adopting a qualitative case study design informed by ethnographic and netnographic principles, it draws on 107 TikTok videos, shadowing with an influencer and 22 interviews, employing multimodal discourse and reflexive thematic analysis to examine how local food is digital mediated and experienced in the heritage site. Findings reveal three interrelated processes. First, rural influencers derive legitimacy from local resources, positioning local food as the core material of digital production. Second, through multimodal curation involving text, image, sound, and interaction, the local food is mediated and transferred into emotional narratives, social identities, and tourism value. Third, audience engagement operates as a networked feedback mechanism that co-configures production practices, tourism imaginaries, and livelihood strategies, illustrating how tangible food products and intangible heritage meanings are relationally mobilized. The study advances understanding of agricultural heritage tourism by linking food and influencer studies, framing rural influencers as active agents in the co-creation of heritage. It also shows how social media can foster rural tourism transformation and destination marketing innovation through food heritage, digital storytelling, and community participation.

Injuries resulting from sports and active recreation can cause extended absences from sport, psychological distress, and disruptions to personal identity for recreational athletes. Athletes who strongly identify with their sport are more likely to continue participating post-injury. However, serious injuries can significantly impact their self-worth and emotional well-being (Andrew et al., 2011). Although biomedical management primarily addresses physical healing, there is limited understanding of how athletes narrate their recovery experiences and how personal stories influence rehabilitation and well-being. These effects often extend beyond sports, influencing daily life and personal relationships. For many athletes, the experience of injury becomes a deeply emotional narrative (Sparks & Smith, 2003). Gaining insight into these narratives is essential for enhancing patient-centred care, fostering therapeutic relationships, and developing more holistic rehabilitation strategies. An autoethnographic approach offers unique opportunities to explore these lived experiences, as it allows the athlete-researcher to reflect deeply on personal emotions, identity shifts, and interactions during recovery. In this study, I aim to present autoethnographic exploration of my own experience of recovering from a serious cycling injury in triathlon using Frank's (1995) framework of Chaos, Restitution, and Quest. I examine how these narrative types evolved throughout my recovery and whether interactions with healthcare professionals, societal expectations, and personal beliefs influenced the shifts in these narratives, as well as the emotional and social dimensions of the rehabilitation process. Data are collected from my reflective journals, training logs, and memories of healthcare encounters gathered throughout the recovery period. A deductive thematic analysis will be conducted, using Frank’s narrative categories as a framework to identify and interpret key themes. Preliminary findings will be presented along with comments on my analysis experience. Attendees will gain insight on the biopsychosocial complexities involved in recovering from a serious injury and the importance of narrative-sensitive approaches in healthcare, coaching, and sports rehabilitation.

ABSTRACT Background Group therapies for people with aphasia (PWA) offer more than language rehabilitation. They create social connectedness, support identity work and enable emotional exchange. Although online aphasia groups are increasingly used, little is known about how conversations about personal trouble develop there. Conversation analysis (CA) has examined Troubles Talk (TT) conversations in non-aphasic speakers describing it as a flexible, non-linear process involving the phases Approach, Announcement, Delivery, Work-Up, Closing Implicature, and Exit. Aims This study investigates how TT occurs in online, biographically oriented group therapies with PWA, focusing on the role of the facilitators, who guide and support the group sessions. Methods Video recordings from the TELE-narraktiv project, in which the biographic-narrative intervention narraktiv was delivered via videoconferencing to PWA, were analyzed. The fourth of seven sessions from three groups (4 participants per group, n = 12; two facilitators in total), was selected for its focus on “health, illness, and age”, containing particularly rich TT instances, totaling 257 minutes. All TT sequences were transcribed following CA conventions and analyzed for TT phases and interactional function. Results Twenty-one TT sequences were identified, reflecting all TT phases. In 16 cases, they were initiated by facilitators. When trouble was introduced by participants, affiliative reactions were crucial for the continuation of the narrative. The facilitators influenced whether TT was picked up or redirected. Despite word-finding difficulties, PWA successfully engaged in TT using gestures, chat, or by showing objects, while facilitators and peers acted as co-narrators through supportive feedback. In 11 cases, participants collaboratively reflected on problems and shared similar experiences. In the closing sequences, facilitators picked up on positive statements, emphasized commonalities and thus strengthened the group cohesion. Conclusions & Implications The results underline the importance of online group therapy for PWA as a space for emotional support. Participants are able to address personal troubles and work through them together in a supportive environment. The study provides detailed insights into how the therapy concept narraktiv enables narrative identity work and social connectedness. While TT in these groups followed patterns known from non-aphasic interactions, facilitators played a pivotal role in initiating, sustaining, and closing TT sequences, bearing primary responsibility for securing and maintaining emotional narrative spaces.

In the contemporary art market, developing a distinctive personal style is essential for establishing artistic identity and achieving commercial sustainability. As globalization expands the reach of visual culture, artists increasingly act as cultural entrepreneurs, building recognition through consistent themes, techniques, and visual narratives. This study examines how personal style shapes artistic branding and influences commercial success in oil painting, with a focus on nature-themed expressive realism. The research analyzes two oil paintings created by the author: Loving Birds (5 × 3 ft) and The Mother Love (3 × 2 ft). Both works depict birds in intimate natural settings, symbolizing romantic companionship and maternal care. The study aims to explore how thematic consistency, emotional storytelling, and technical execution contribute to a cohesive artistic brand and enhance market appeal. Using a qualitative visual analysis methodology informed by branding theory, cultural capital theory, and art market economics, the paintings are examined for composition, color harmony, subject representation, narrative symbolism, and stylistic coherence. Comparative analysis identifies recurring visual elements, leading to the definition of the artist’s emerging style as Emotional Wildlife Realism, which integrates realistic anatomical detailing with expressive emotional narratives. Findings indicate that emphasizing universal emotions such as love, care, and harmony strengthens audience engagement, reinforces brand identity, and enhances the commercial potential of artworks across decorative, cultural, and contemporary art markets.

Against the backdrop of the experience economy and the rise of emotional consumption, Jubensha (particularly those centered on emotional narratives) have emerged as a quintessential phenomenon of "paying for emotions". Drawing on media theory, emotional labor theory, and consumer society theory, this paper constructs a framework for the emotional commodification industrial chain by using the examples of Eternal Glory (LiuFang in Chinese) and The Seven-Thousand-Mile Homecoming (Gui Tu Qi Wan Li in Chinese). The study systematically elucidates the entire process of emotional commodification in Jubensha, spanning script design, production, venue operations, and symbolic consumption. Findings reveal that emotions are systematically commodified within the Jubensha industry, forming an efficient production and consumption chain. The study further highlights the risks of homogenization, instrumentalization, and diminished authenticity in existing works. This research offers new perspectives on the experience economy and emotional mediation in the digital age.

The rapid development of digital media has encouraged organizations to adopt effective communication strategies to build trust, particularly through social media platforms. One strategy that has gained prominence is storytelling, which emphasizes emotional engagement and narrative authenticity. This study aims to analyze how storytelling is utilized as a digital communication strategy to increase brand trust on the Instagram account @berbuatbaikofficial. Using a qualitative research approach, data were collected through content analysis of Instagram posts, in-depth observation, and documentation. The analysis focuses on narrative structure, message framing, visual elements, and audience interaction. The findings indicate that storytelling content presented through real-life stories, emotional narratives, and consistent moral values successfully fosters audience empathy, credibility, and trust toward the brand. Storytelling not only strengthens the emotional connection between the brand and its audience but also enhances brand identity and perceived authenticity. This study concludes that storytelling is an effective digital communication strategy in building and maintining brand trust on social media platforms, particularly Instagram

ABSTRACT This paper presents a pedagogical approach to teaching financial geography that centers on reflective writing and the emotional dimensions of students’ lived financial experiences. It argues that integrating affect and reflection into teaching can bridge disciplinary divides, enabling students to see themselves not merely as observers of the financial world but as active participants within it. Drawing on a case study of a course for engineering students, the paper reframes finance from a purely technical domain to a socio-spatial and affect-laden phenomenon. Through structured reflective writing, students critically examined how financial systems shape – and are shaped by – their everyday lives. Their reflections surfaced powerful emotional narratives, which in turn deepened engagement with theoretical concepts and strengthened critical thinking. By creating space for students to explore their financial subjectivities, the course demystified abstract financial systems, made geography more relevant and accessible to non-majors, and demonstrated the transformative potential of a lived experience approach to teaching geography in higher education.

Integrative frameworks such as ‘One Welfare’ and ‘One Biology’ address the interconnectedness of animal welfare, human wellbeing, and environmental conditions by emphasising systemic interactions and shared biological mechanisms across species. Although grounded in scientific evidence, these approaches risk conceptual anthropomorphisation, whereby human-centred assumptions, emotional narratives, or cultural norms influence interpretations of welfare, sentience, or sustainability. Such projections can undermine scientific objectivity, misrepresent species-specific needs, and weaken the frameworks’ applicability in research, policy, and practice. This paper critically examines how anthropomorphising concepts may arise within this context, distinguishing empirically supported biological continuity from unwarranted human-like attributions. It highlights the importance of precise language, operational definitions, and comparative evidence to safeguard conceptual integrity. While both frameworks are fundamentally non-anthropomorphic, careless language and human-centred assumptions can compromise their scientific rigour and ethical coherence. Avoiding conceptual anthropomorphisation is therefore essential to maximise their value for robust welfare assessment, policy development, and sustainable practice.

Abstract The family is rarely a topic of international politics, but politicised captivity is one of the few domains where familial relations can play a prominent role. Crucially, the families involved generally lack the traditional power resources of wealth or official status that would normally be understood to influence outcomes within international politics. What they do possess, however, is a different set of emotional–political resources that both evoke emotion and invoke a diverse set of social rules concerning emotional experience. To explore our claims, we examine the case of the family of Yokota Megumi, a thirteen-year-old Japanese girl abducted by North Korea. This case both illustrates the potential of emotional–political resources to mobilise action and also highlights the risks that emotional narratives of families can be leveraged by political actors for their own purposes.

Abstract Background Patients with depression generally have problems such as limited emotion recognition, obvious negative cognitive bias, and decreased emotion regulation ability. Traditional psychological intervention still has shortcomings such as low participation and difficulty in abstract understanding in terms of emotional expression and internal experience reshaping. Visual narrative therapy constructs visualized emotional narrative paths through colors, shapes and situational metaphors, which can promote patients’ externalization of emotional experiences and enhance their ability to reevaluate emotions. However, at present, empirical evidence on whether visual narrative design based on dynamic color graphics can further enhance the intervention effect is still relatively scarce. Therefore, this study explores the intervention effect of visual narrative therapy combined with dynamic color graphic posters on the emotional regulation ability of patients with depression, aiming to provide more practical evidence support for the interdisciplinary integration of visual design and psychotherapy. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 82 patients diagnosed with depression at the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to the control group (n = 41) or the routine psychological support group (n = 41). The intervention lasted 6 weeks. The intervention group received visual narrative therapy incorporating dynamic color-pattern posters, including emotional color mapping, metaphorical graphic narration, visual reconstruction training, and individualized storytelling. The control group received routine psychological support. Assessments were conducted at baseline, Week 3, and Week 6, covering depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and an emotion recognition task (accuracy and reaction time). Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine time × group interaction effects. Results After 6 weeks, PHQ-9 scores in the intervention group decreased from 15.37 ± 3.12 to 8.26 ± 2.74 (a reduction of 46.3%), significantly greater than the control group’s decrease from 15.09 ± 3.05 to 11.94 ± 2.88 (a reduction of 20.8%) (p<.001). DERS scores also showed a larger reduction in the intervention group (from 98.42 ± 10.57 to 74.15 ± 9.84) compared with the control group (from 97.26 ± 11.03 to 88.73 ± 10.41) (p=.004). Emotion recognition accuracy increased to 81.6% ± 5.2% in the intervention group, higher than the control group’s 72.4% ± 6.1% (p<.01). Furthermore, dynamic color-pattern posters significantly improved positive emotion priming, as reaction time decreased by 214.6 ms in the intervention group versus 87.4 ms in the control group. Discussion The research results show that the visual narrative therapy integrating dynamic color graphic posters can significantly improve the emotional regulation ability of patients with depression, and its effect is reflected in the alleviation of depressive symptoms and the enhancement of emotional recognition ability, etc. The dynamic changes of visual elements enhance patients’ externalized expression of emotions and internal narrative reconstruction, making it easier for them to obtain positive emotional experiences. The research provides new empirical evidence for the intervention of visual design in mental and psychological therapy, but it is still limited by the sample size and intervention period. Future research can further explore the differential effects of different visual elements on mood improvement.

This study explores the role of TikTok in shaping emotions and communicative dynamics within the broader context of digital culture. The research is grounded in a theoretical framework that traces the shift from a linear communication model to a participatory and convergent ecosystem, characterized by user-generated content and horizontal interaction. Drawing on the concept of digital affordances, the analysis examines how comments on TikTok serve as a crucial dimension, simultaneously driving the algorithmic visibility of content and fostering the construction of social bonds. The study employs a quantitative, descriptive approach, conducting content analysis across three dimensions (syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic) on a corpus of 4206 comments drawn from four self-help videos by influencers Irene Albacete, Daniel Habif, and Yoroi. Additionally, a structured survey of 336 participants, based on a Likert scale, was administered to assess perceptions and emotions associated with these contents. The findings reveal that comments function as interaction multipliers that amplify algorithmic dissemination, generating opportunities for democratizing visibility while also posing risks of reinforcing echo chambers and cognitive biases. Moreover, TikTok demonstrates a dual emotional impact: while it fosters supportive communities and enhances socioemotional skills, it can also intensify challenges such as anxiety, low self-esteem, and large-scale negative emotional contagion. In conclusion, TikTok emerges as a central arena of contemporary digital experience, where algorithmic logic and user participation coexist within a landscape of tension between inclusion and risk. These findings underscore the need for conscious, critical engagement with digital platforms, as well as the ethical responsibility of algorithmic systems in shaping social and emotional life in the digital era.

Abstract Legitimacy is essential to the effectiveness of international organisations ( IO s). As IO s become more politicised, they increasingly elicit emotional responses from citizens ranging from hope to resentment. This article explores how such emotions affect the legitimacy of IO s and how IO s themselves mobilise emotions to reinforce it. Negative public emotions can weaken legitimacy, as seen in events such as Brexit or the failed ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe ( TCE ), where discontent towards the European Union shaped political outcomes and cast doubt on the future of European co-operation. Yet positive emotions can bolster legitimacy, rendering alternatives unthinkable and increasing support for IO s’ aims. IO s are not merely reactive; they actively shape emotional narratives by appealing to shared values, moral commitments or historical memory. Rather than viewing legitimacy as a purely rational or legal status, this article argues that emotional dynamics are central to how IO s gain, maintain or lose legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

The article examines sport as a multidimensional socio-economic phenomenon in which branding is gradually transforming from a supportive marketing function into a strategic resource for the development of sport. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing commercialisation of the sports industry, intensified competition for audience attention, financial resources and media visibility, as well as by the impact of digital transformation on models of interaction between sports organisations, fans and other stakeholders. The aim is to provide a theoretical generalisation of the environment in which sports brands operate and to systematise the basic models of commercially effective branding in contemporary sport. Methods. The study employs general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, and comparative analysis of scholarly approaches to sports branding, as well as a synthesis of international and national practices in sports brand management. The results. The research substantiates the hybrid nature of the sports product, which combines tangible components (competitive activity, infrastructure, service provision) with intangible elements such as emotional experiences, symbolism, historical heritage and fan culture. The key role of emotional and social capital in building long-term fan loyalty and brand stability, regardless of short-term sporting results, is identified. It is established that sports branding develops within a complex stakeholder system that includes fans, sponsors, media, public authorities and local communities, while brand effectiveness largely depends on the quality of brand communication, media exposure and digital presence. The study systematises the core models of sports branding, including club, league, personal, co-branding and fan-oriented approaches, which together form a multi-level architecture of the sports brand. A synthesis of international and national practices demonstrates that systematic brand management, strategic consistency, the use of emotional narratives, and digital tools are key determinants of the commercial effectiveness of a sports brand. The findings provide a theoretical basis for further empirical research and may be applied in the management of sports organisations and the development of sport industry strategies.

Addressing a gap in cross-cultural semantic studies of Indonesian global artists, this paper investigates the connotative meanings embedded in NIKI’s “Anaheim” lyrics. The study employs a descriptive qualitative research design to interpret the connotative meanings conveyed through linguistic choices in NIKI’s lyrics. The study employs document and content analysis of the song’s written text. Ten lyrical excerpts were systematically read, annotated, and coded to identify recurring lexical items, metaphors, and thematic patterns. The coding process, validated through peer discussion and reference triangulation, ensured interpretive reliability and analytical depth. Drawing on Leech’s semantic framework and supported by transnational identity theory, the analysis highlights how “Anaheim” constructs themes of loss, emotional transformation, and cultural hybridity. The findings reveal that NIKI’s nuanced use of connotative language transforms personal experience into a universal emotional narrative, illustrating how linguistic creativity serves as a medium of identity negotiation within the global pop music landscape

Introduction The regulatory adjustment to Indonesia's subsidized 3-kilogram LPG distribution in February 2025 triggered widespread public unrest and rapidly became a national controversy. The temporary suspension of retail sales produced acute shortages for households and small businesses, leading to significant media amplification and extensive debate across digital platforms. As YouTube increasingly functions as a participatory space for public expression, understanding emotional discourse and symbolic contestation in its comment sections is essential for analyzing how digital publics articulate grievances and influence policy communication. Methods This study employed Ethnographic Content Analysis (ECA) to examine 426 YouTube comments posted between February 5 and March 1, 2025, responding to the MetroTV news clip covering the LPG subsidy controversy. Comments—including both primary comments and replies—were treated as independent units of analysis. Sentiments were categorized using a six-type framework adapted from Amarasekara and Grant (2019): appearance, sexual/sexist, hostile, positive, critiques/negative, and general/neutral. Two coders independently applied the coding scheme, achieving near-perfect reliability (Krippendorff's Alpha = 0.993). The ethnographic approach enabled analysis not only of textual meaning but also of communicative markers such as phrasing, capitalization, emojis, and rhetorical style. Results Findings show that negative and critical comments dominated the discourse (197 comments), followed by hostile sentiment (87 comments). These comments frequently expressed frustration, socio-economic grievances, and delegitimization of authority. Positive sentiment (55 comments) was directed not at government officials but at a citizen who confronted the minister, indicating the emergence of symbolic figures representing collective discontent. Appearance-based (17 comments) and sexual/sexist (1 comment) sentiments, though fewer, illustrated the degradation of discourse into ad hominem attacks. Neutral comments (69 comments) reflected factual observations, rhetorical questioning, or conversational engagement. Overall, the comment section functioned as an arena for emotional release, symbolic contestation, and affective communication. Discussion The study demonstrates that YouTube comment sections operate as affective extensions of the digital public sphere, where emotional intensity and symbolic representation shape civic engagement. Emotional discourse—including sarcasm, humor, ridicule, and direct criticism—served as a mechanism of civic accountability and revealed public dissatisfaction with governance and policy implementation. The prominence of symbolic figures, such as the protesting citizen, underscores how digital publics mobilize emotional narratives to articulate social frustration. These findings extend theoretical understandings of digital participation, highlighting the role of affect, symbolic activism, and ethnographic insight in interpreting public discourse on social media platforms.

Hearing loss impacts 430 million individuals worldwide and is linked to negative outcomes such as social isolation and cognitive decline. While social media offers a valuable avenue for gathering insights into patient experiences with hearing aids (HAs) and cochlear implants (CIs), there remains a significant gap in understanding how to effectively capture and analyze these perspectives. This scoping review aims to map existing literature about online communities, providing a novel approach to exploring and analyzing patient experiences with HAs and CIs that conventional research methods may overlook. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across several databases to identify studies evaluating HA and CI user experiences with regard to online platforms. Studies were screened and summarized, drawing out themes for user devices studied, digital platforms utilized, and primary analysis methods. Of 1,752 original studies screened, 16 were ultimately included. Three primary modes of analysis emerged from a review of the literature: (a) manual coding of text, (b) computational text analysis, and (c) audiovisual content analysis. Each approach contributed distinct insights: Manual coding captured nuanced lived experiences and emotional narratives, computational techniques offered scalable assessments of sentiment and usage patterns, and audiovisual analyses highlighted educational quality and content dissemination trends. Findings revealed underlying trends in the utility of online communities as a space for patients with a CI or HA to share personal anecdotes and experiences, as a modality to distribute medical information and decrease barriers to health literacy, and as a unique environment to find peer support. This scoping review demonstrates promise in the use of online platforms as a resource for evaluating HA and CI user experiences. Evaluating these digital platforms can help inform patients and guide providers with user perspectives, offer support systems for patients, and empower patients with a CI or HA to optimize their medical, communicative, and social engagement throughout their hearing health care journey. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31060957.

With the increasing cross-cultural dissemination of medical documentaries, their subtitling translation plays a pivotal role in promoting the popularization of professional knowledge and facilitating humanistic exchange. Grounded in the theory of multimodal discourse analysis, this study examines the subtitling translation of the medical documentary Baby Surgeons, exploring how medical information and narrative emotion are reconstructed and conveyed in translation through the synergistic interplay of visual, auditory, textual, and other multimodal semiotic resources. The research begins by outlining the core framework of multimodal discourse analysis, then proceeds to analyze representative excerpts from the documentary—including surgical scenes, doctor-patient interactions, and professional narration—to investigate how meaning is integrated across source and target languages within a multimodal context. Findings reveal that subtitling translation for medical documentaries must balance terminological accuracy, synchronization with narrative pacing, and cross-cultural adaptation of affective resonance. Through flexible application of strategies such as compensation, simplification, and explicitation, an effective equilibrium between medical scientificity and humanistic concern can be achieved. This study offers insights for the practice of medical audiovisual translation and contributes positively to the global dissemination of medical knowledge and its public comprehension.