Viewer Responses Research Articles

How to speak destinations more efficiently: a study on the effects of narration in tourism films on viewer perceptions and intentions

ABSTRACT In an age where visual media serves as a pivotal channel for information dissemination, this study examines the effects of varied narrations on viewers’ perception of destination images (DI) and their travel intentions (TI), utilizing Speech Act Theory (SAT) as a theoretical framework. We adopted a sequential mixed-methods research design, with a three-staged approach. In stage one, we gathered and categorized the narrations, using them to create narration exemplars for the experiments. In the second stage, we conducted a quantitative survey to validate our research hypotheses. Building on the results from stage two, stage three incorporated semi-structured interviews to further elucidate the findings. Our research indicates that viewer responses significantly differ across various narration styles. Specifically, representative narration was found to enhance viewers’ perception of destination images more effectively. However, both commissive and expressive narrations were more successful in stimulating viewers’TI, evoking feelings of pleasure, uniqueness, and connection.

The Ethical Implications of Prosocial Synthetic Resuscitation: Analysing User Comments to a Deepfake Campaign Addressing Intimate Partner Violence

In recent years, the ‘digital resurrection’ of the deceased through Deepfake technology has become a reality accessible to the general public and has raised profound ethical discussions in society. While the academic literature focuses primarily on regulatory and political implications, the public reception of digital resurrection remains largely unexplored. Furthermore, much of the public discourse around Deepfakes centres on their malicious applications, despite the potential for digital resurrection to serve prosocial purposes. This study focuses on an Israeli campaign called ‘Listen to My Voice’ (2021), which ‘resurrected’ women murdered by their partners, having them ‘tell’ the stories of the abusive relationships that preceded their deaths. An analysis of viewer responses shows that the campaign elicited strong reactions straddling the line between technology and ethics. Quantitatively, most comments supported the use of Deepfakes, given the importance of the cause and the impactful messaging. Qualitatively, two key themes emerged: one technical, indicating that visceral realism sparked both emotional connections and fundamental misunderstandings of the technology itself. The second highlighted an ethical tension between desires to protect autonomy and justifications for posthumously using an individual’s likeness for positive aims. The findings suggest Deepfakes’ technical attributes, particularly tangibility, significantly shape its ethical reception—a phenomenon we term ‘the ethics of technological misunderstanding’.

Marketing higher education on YouTube: a content analysis of college promotional videos

ABSTRACT Colleges and universities in the United States spend over $2 billion annually on marketing and advertising. Increasingly, higher education institutions are turning to social media platforms, such as YouTube, to showcase their recruitment videos; however, to date, this body of persuasive messages has not been systematically surveyed. This study content analyzed a random sample of 251 videos promoting four-year institutions across the US that are accessible on YouTube, focusing on key persuasive factors, including the primary persuasive appeal used in the video, whether the persuasive message was stated directly or conveyed implicitly, and whether the presentation style was exposition- or narrative-based. Taking an integrative approach to content analysis, viewer responses (i.e. number of views, number of ‘likes’ and comments) were also captured and used as outcome variables in the current study. Our analysis revealed that college promotional videos tend to be brief, expository messages that explicitly encourage enrollment at the advertised schools. Additionally, institutions often promote their brands by foregrounding user imagery.

Research on Gnosticism in Cinema

Gnosticism regards the material world as an illusion generated by a god triggering existential questions in movie storylines. This research explores the current cinematic use of Gnostic concepts of their depiction to dig into filmmakings reactions to topics of knowledge, spiritual duality, and ancient belief mechanisms. The study focuses on how movies adopt ideas to change audiences reality viewpoints frequently instructing characters on trips to disclose realities and individual cultivation similar to the Gnostic route. By exploring the movies with these topics, the research offers an understanding of Gnosticism's approach to forming storytelling approaches and thematic diversity in cinema. Meanwhile, this paper takes into account viewer responses and wider philosophical dialogues triggered by films in its analysis, as well as reflecting on the influences of these Gnostic-stimulated narratives on movie tendencies. The research lays a foundation for an investigation into factors in movie and their association with current audiences primarily knowing the intersection between ancient wisdom and modern artistic expressions.

Joy: the key to using media to move the needle on climate change

IntroductionReaching the public and engaging them in addressing climate change could be effectively motivated by film and television. Unfortunately, to-date, there is limited understanding regarding the mechanisms by which such media motivates behavior change to address climate. In this research, we sought to investigate how media exposure can motivate climate and environmentally-conscious behaviors by assessing how emotional responses of viewers or demographic characteristics affected subsequent behavior over weeks following exposure.MethodsParticipants (N = 352) were recruited online and randomly assigned to watch one of three video segments. In surveys before and 4 weeks after viewing, they reported on specific environmentally friendly actions they had taken in recent weeks. Using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for actions reported at baseline, we assessed whether the number of actions reported at follow-up differed by assigned video. Two ANCOVA models were pre-specified, one with video only and one with backwards selection on a list of demographic factors and emotions experienced while watching the videos.ResultsIn the multivariable model, a higher level of action was associated with self-reported joy (p < 0.001) and fear (p < 0.01).DiscussionThese findings suggest that climate communication that engages audience members in a joyful emotional state or, to a lesser degree, a frightening experience may be most effective in increasing climate action.

Analyzing an Interest in GPT 4o through Sentiment Analysis using CRISP-DM

This study investigates the sentiment of viewers towards GPT-4o technology videos by analyzing 1538 English language posts using two sentiment analysis tools, VADER and TextBlob. The analysis reveals a fair level of agreement between the two tools, with 929 posts (60.40%) classified consistently, yielding a Cohen’s kappa statistic of 0.388. The sentiment distribution among the posts is as follows: 182 posts (19.59%) exhibit negative sentiments, 390 posts (41.98%) are neutral, and 357 posts (38.43%) show positive sentiments. These findings highlight the importance of utilizing multiple tools for comprehensive sentiment analysis and underscore the complexity of interpreting public reactions to AI advancements. The study provides valuable insights into the nuanced responses of viewers, emphasizing the diverse perspectives towards the GPT-4o technology.

Exploring the evocative qualities of masks' visual imagery and their associations with adversity and trauma.

Studies suggest a relationship between the emotional evocativeness of visual imagery and viewer responses, however, there is limited understanding of these associations, especially as they relate to viewers' personal experiences of adversities. In this exploratory study, we examined the relationship between the visual content of mask images and viewers' responses. In an online survey 699 participants (of n = 1,010 total initial participants) rated 98 masks based on valence, arousal, and personal relevance and completed the Life Events Checklist. The masks included those created by service members (SMs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depicting physical, psychological, and moral injuries and matched neutral masks created by creative arts therapists and arts in health scholars. The findings indicated that responses to mask image content (traumatic versus neutral) were associated with viewers' personal history of adversity and trauma. Specifically, images representing injury/trauma provoked stronger reactions on valence and arousal than neutral images. Moreover, participants with personal histories of trauma had heightened emotional responses to distressing imagery. These findings have implications for art therapists as well as for clinical and general populations in that these results highlight the potential impact of distressing imagery particularly for individuals with personal histories of experiencing or witnessing traumatic events.

유튜브 댓글 분석을 통한 클래식 음악 시청자 반응 연구

This study analyzed Korean-language comments on YouTube videos of pianist Lim Yunchan’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 during the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition finals, exploring domestic viewers’ reactions and emotional perceptions of classical music. The research methodology involved selecting only Korean comments collected via the YouTube Data API from June 20, 2022, to December 1, 2023, refining the data, and conducting keyword frequency analysis, LDA Topic Modeling, and sentiment analysis using R. The analysis indicated that viewers expressed deep emotional resonance and admiration for the artistic excellence of Lim’s performance through the identified keywords. The LDA Topic Modeling yielded three themes: ‘the Van Cliburn Competition’, ‘viewer responses’, and ‘the bright future of K-Classic’. Although the sentiment analysis showed some limitations, predominantly positive responses were observed. This study provides substantive data on how viewing classical music performances on YouTube can elicit emotional resonance and admiration for artistic excellence in viewers. Additionally, it confirmed that YouTube plays a crucial role in enhancing the accessibility of classical music and serving as a conduit for appreciation and communication. This research contributes to understanding the current landscape of Korea’s classical music consumption and offers insights into the consumption patterns of classical music in the digital media era.

How It Ends: Exploring How Narrative Closure and Character Outcomes in Series Finales Relate to Viewer Responses and Coping Behaviors

ABSTRACT Series finales garner much attention and discussion from viewers and the press, yet few studies have examined what makes finales satisfying. According to affective disposition theory (ADT) the outcomes that characters experience will predict audience gratifications; however, little is known about what other factors may affect responses to finales. An online questionnaire (N = 840) was administered to explore the associations between character outcomes and perceived narrative closure with affective responses (positive and meaningful), emotional distress (depression, anger, and anxiety), enjoyment, and appreciation, and to determine how these factors relate to post-viewing coping behaviors. Findings revealed that both the positivity of an outcome for a main character and perceived narrative closure were associated with heightened positive and meaningful affect, reduced emotional distress, and increased enjoyment and appreciation. Furthermore, appreciation and enjoyment were differentially related to coping behaviors, such that enjoyment was linked to decreased coping, whereas appreciation was associated with heightened engagement in these behaviors. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Oops, I Did It Again! The Humour of Incongruity, Risk-Taking and Creativity in Art Practice and Everyday Life

This article explores the incongruous results of creativity and risk-taking within art practice and everyday life as encountered through the photographic image. The impetus for this study was a humorous experience that took place during health and safety training that raised questions about the role of humour within everyday life. Research was conducted into two forms of visual media, including pamphlets and guides from the British Safety Council (BSC) archives and viral images that demonstrate accidents (tagged with an ‘epic fail’ hashtag). This led to a practice-based approach to research involving the production of photographic works for an exhibition that tested the role of risk-taking and improvisation within the creative process. This article uses humour theory including superiority, incongruity and relief theory in relation to Louise Peacock’s model for the analysis of slapstick, to analyse these different types of photographs and draws comparisons between the risk-taking creative behaviours of both employees and artists. These creative approaches are considered in relation to Michel de Certeau’s notion of tactics within everyday life. Ordinary thinking and improvisational tactics are present within both art and work, and improvisation heightens the potential for risk-taking. This may lead to incongruities represented through a photograph which can impact the viewer’s engagement through humour, fascination or self-reflexivity. It is proposed that the viewer response to images containing risk is made up of a balance between an embodied understanding of the dangers and an awareness of the artifice, which can shift depending on the conditions of the photograph’s production and display. The peculiarities of the photograph are seen as conducive to a humour response because of the photograph’s ambiguous relationship with the reality that it represents.

An Eye-Tracking Study on Viewer Compliance with the Gestalt Closure Principle: Analyzing the Impact of Gap Size and the Golden Ratio

Abstract The Gestalt principle of closure refers to brain activity filling in missing information to perceive objects as complete, even when partially hidden. Designers leverage this principle to imply shapes without explicitly showing them. However, evaluating viewer responses poses challenges. The author conducted a comprehensive eye-tracking experiment to determine when viewers mentally completed a gap in a circle and explored the potential influence of the golden ratio on the closure principle. The golden ratio, approximately 1.618, is associated with visual harmony and is used in art and design to create pleasing proportions. Findings showed that viewers tend to mentally close gaps up to 135° but avoid closure beyond 150°. This suggests the golden ratio’s relevance in applying the closure principle to design.

“Korean Women All Make Bad Wives”: Misogyny and Nationalism in Online Discourses Promoting Interracial Relationships Between Korean Men and White Women

South Korea, which has, for a long time, prided itself as a mono-racial nation, is experiencing a significant shift in its demographic from racial homogeneity to multi-raciality. Such change is fueled by the rise in interracial relationships between Korean men and non-Korean women. In this article, I address the question: How are Korean masculinity and national identity reconceptualized through interracial relationships? I build on feminist theories on race and eroticism to critically examine the YouTube videos uploaded by couples comprised of Korean men and white women. These videos garner hundreds of thousands of views and become spaces of lively debate about issues of masculinity, nationalism, and femininity. I argue that the viewer responses to the videos mobilize misogynistic binaries that pit supposedly problematic Korean women against the supposedly ideal white women. I demonstrate how misogyny in Korea is being rearticulated to conform to the nation’s demographic shift.

Drawing hearts in the air within new African diaspora spaces: selling Nollywood and consuming nostalgia in London

ABSTRACT Nigerian video films circulate transnationally across various African diaspora communities, including London, England. This article explores conversations concerning the experience of both real and faux nostalgia regarding Blackness and the African diaspora as expressed through Nollywood cinema in London. Within these diaspora communities, Nigerian venders sell Nollywood DVDs as physical commodities from their homeland, triggering sensations of nostalgia and transporting audiences to experience pleasurable and painful emotions. By consuming these cultural products, Nollywood audiences may yearn for an actual African home or experience longing for a village life they have never truly experienced (Krings and Okome 2013, pp. 5–6). Nollywood DVDs serve as modern cultural artefacts containing a ‘record’, both literally and figuratively, transmitting a ‘‘communication’ of black nostalgia’ (Edwards 2009, p. 145) to consumers by providing imaginative sensory spatial representations of Nigeria and Africa. This article explores research from the liminal temporal space of 2013 London, where Nigerian consumption patterns shifted from a thriving market of Nollywood video-film consumers renting or purchasing DVDs – in ‘brick and mortar’ shops – to streaming these cultural commodities online. Viewer responses reveal the importance of physical and online movie distribution platforms as pan-African content providers, connecting virtual homeland spaces of nostalgia to the African diaspora. Thus, from the comfort of their homes, audiences conveniently accessed Black African representations of Nigeria. This investigation captures transnational socio-cultural exchanges in survey research, through questionnaires, and online social media research. Black venders and consumers reveal their experiences with Nollywood as a means to sustain nostalgic homeland bonds, cultural norms, customs, language, religion, and tradition (Krings and Okome, pp. 5–6). The findings elucidate the psychological importance of maintaining homeland connections through buying, selling, and consuming Nollywood experientially. Therefore, a social mechanism of nostalgia allows consumers and venders to retain and sustain Black African cultural identity abroad.

A Comparative Study of AI and Human-Generated Health Video Appeal

This study explores the efficacy of AI-generated health-related content (HRC) compared to human-produced videos in terms of audience trust and engagement. Utilizing a sample of 24 middle-aged South Asian females, we compared videos generated using invideo.ai based on popular YouTube videos to their actual human-generated counterparts across two genres: general wellness and instructional walkthroughs. Results showed no significant difference in viewer response, with one exception—AI-generated wellness content was statistically more likely to encourage viewers to follow the advice. These findings suggest that AI can produce health content on par with, or in some cases better than, human creators, highlighting the potential benefits and risks of AI in health communication and beyond.

Examining some dynamics related to YouTube ad clutter in a high–clutter context

PurposeThis study aimed to test some dynamics related to YouTube advertising clutter and viewers' attitudes towards YouTube channels operated by traditional television (TV) companies (These YouTube channels tend to have a greater ad clutter since their videos have embedded ads of programme sponsors in addition to regular YouTube advertisements).Design/methodology/approachEmploying a positivistic, quantitative methodology, the study collected data through an online survey from a sample of 295 YouTube viewers in Sri Lanka. Data were analysed using the regression-based PROCESS macro, utilising the SPSS software.FindingsAd clutter has a negative impact on viewers' attitudes towards the YouTube channel, but only indirectly, through irritation. Skippability of advertisements does not moderate the relationship between ad clutter and ad irritation, but non-skippability increases ad irritation (direct relationship).Practical implicationsYouTube channel owners should pay careful attention to having an optimum level of advertising because clutter resulting in high ad irritation leading to a negative attitude towards the channel could reduce subscriptions. Offering an ad skippability option is unlikely to reduce irritation if there is high clutter.Originality/valueAlthough ad clutter is well-researched, its impact on viewer responses to online media channels is uncommon. With YouTube poised to become a top ad revenue-generating medium, this study contributes by examining some dynamics related to ad clutter in a possibly high-clutter context.

Revisiting the Relationship Between Sports Fandom and the Black Criminal Stereotype: A Replication and Extension Study

In news media, one stereotype that is continually over-represented is Black men as criminals, leading to what many refer to as “the Black criminal stereotype.” Although research demonstrates that distorted news portrayals of criminals can provoke stereotypical responses in viewers, limited evidence connects these effects to sport media. Anderson and Raney (2018) explored this in an experimental study ( n = 234) and found evidence of the Black criminal stereotype among sports fans. However, more research was needed to further explore this phenomenon. The current study employed a similar experimental design ( n = 603) in an attempt to (1) replicate their 2018 study to examine whether sports fans’ perceptions of criminal athletes have changed over the past several years, especially in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, and (2) determine whether the sport played by an alleged criminal athlete might be linked to judgments regarding race and crime in sports. Our findings indicate that sports fandom still predicts stereotypical judgments. However, individual difference variables—particularly social conservatism, African American stereotype endorsement, and gender—were more strongly related. Our findings point toward the potential power of social movements in influencing attitudes and beliefs regarding race and crime.

Augmented reality experience: An examination of viewer responses to sports videos

AbstractAugmented reality (AR) offers a transforming user experience and has been increasingly integrated into entertainment and service contexts. Drawing on experience economy theory and employing a mixed‐methods approach, this research evaluates the antecedents and consequences of four realms of viewer experiences: entertainment, educational, aesthetic, and escapist experiences, in AR‐infused sports videos. A qualitative study of semi‐structured interviews highlights three critical AR features in sports videos (i.e., novelty, vividness, and informativeness) in shaping viewer experiences. Subsequently, a research model is formulated to elucidate the relationships among AR features, four realms of viewer experiences, and behavioral intentions. A quantitative analysis based on survey data reveals that AR features exert varying effects on viewers' entertainment, educational, and aesthetic experiences, yet none significantly affects escapist experience, which is relatively trivial in viewers' overall experience. Entertainment, educational, aesthetic, and escapist experiences have various influences on viewers' intentions to watch again, to recommend, and to pay, except that entertainment and educational experiences do not significantly affect intention to pay. This research stresses the importance of understanding multiple aspects of user experiences in AR research and provides useful guidelines for AR features and viewer experience design in sports videos.

Increasing COVID-19 Immunization Awareness in Rural Communities Through a Multimedia Campaign.

The purpose of this project was to implement a multimedia campaign to increase COVID-19 vaccine awareness and acceptance in rural communities. This project was created and implemented in partnership with a public university in Michigan and targeted to rural Michigan communities. The campaign consisted of digital advertisements and video interviews with nurses from rural areas. Interview questions were developed using knowledge of the health belief model and allowed the nurses to share their COVID-19 stories. Video interviews were published to social media, and digital advertisements were targeted to rural areas via geofencing. A viewer response survey was provided to measure likelihood of behavior change after viewing. The campaign advertisements and videos reached 602 980 people during the implementation period, and 239 surveys were completed. Of the 53 unvaccinated respondents, 87% stated an increased likelihood to vaccinate. This project supports the ability of the clinical nurse specialist to lead a multimedia campaign partnership that can reach thousands of people and increase the likelihood of vaccination. As the popularity of digital media continues to rise, clinical nurse specialists can embrace these channels to disseminate critical health information.

Brand new: how visual context shapes initial response to logos and corporate visual identity systems

PurposeWhen a new logo is released, it does not have an established meaning in the mind of the viewer. As logos have become more highly scrutinized by consumers and critics, it has become more important to understand viewers’ initial responses to logos. While other studies have researched the impact of aesthetic choices on viewer reaction to logos, this study aims to understand the effect of the surrounding visual identity system when a new logo is introduced.Design/methodology/approachThis study combines a content analysis of 335 posts on the logo review website Brand New with the voting data from their polls to understand how visual context correlates with a viewer’s initial response.FindingsIncreased amounts of visual context correlate to an improved response from viewers. Different types of context that can be presented – from logo variations and environmental examples to videos and animation – have varied effects.Practical implicationsWhen releasing a new logo, companies and organizations may receive a better response from viewers if they provide more visual context. Animations may also provide an improved response.Originality/valueThis study takes a novel approach to exploring viewer responses to logos by combining content analysis with voting data. While most studies use fictitious or abstract logo designs, this study uses actual logos and context to better understand viewer responses.

Worrying about China: storytelling, humanitarian intervention and the global circulation of independent Chinese documentary

ABSTRACT This article explores the impact of cross-border collaboration on independent Chinese documentary. Through a study of Wang Jiuliang’s Plastic China, I argue that the film, which passed through training events run by CNEX and the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Programme in China, bears the formal impact of the industrial-humanitarian logic central to these workshops: character-driven storytelling as the key to generating a global Anglophone public for independent Chinese documentary. Tracing this logic through the workshop mechanism, the film’s form, and audience reactions to its screening in the UK, I suggest the result is a viewer response privileging personal action over structural critique—what in this context I term “worrying about China.” This allows me to locate the documentary in relation to broader liberal arguments over China’s place in the world system and assess the limitations of this approach to “going global” for independent Chinese documentary.