Visual Frame Research Articles

Hashing it out: an examination of the interaction of image and headline frames of marijuana in a time of flux

The perception of marijuana in the contemporary move towards decriminalization and normalization in the United States and elsewhere will be affected by the manner in which the media visually and textually portray the drug. This study examines the visual and headline framing of marijuana prior to and following legalisation in Colorado, concentrating on issue framing and the valence or tone of visuals, words and their interaction. Results reveal different valences and issues amongst outlets and across time, and show complex and sometimes conflicting pairings of images and text. Neutral news outlets, while seemingly most neutral in image and in headline, were more slanted when pairing images with headlines, although they most frequently paired neutrally toned headlines with neutrally toned images. On the other hand, liberal and conservative news outlets most frequently showed neutrally valenced images with neutrally valenced headlines. While neutral news outlets may be lauded for presenting issues in a neutral tone, they are sending more mixed messages, visually, than the other outlets. Mostly framed as a political issue, marijuana was also heavily emphasised by its criminal and medical aspects. However, conservative news outlets presented its criminal aspect more than the other outlets.

The Use of Visuals in Issue Framing: Signifying Responsible Drinking

This article offers new insights into the organizational framing of social issues by drawing attention to the use of visual framing. These insights are based on a case study of the organization, Drinkaware, and its visual framing of the issue of alcohol-related harm in its campaign material. The study identifies three overall visual framing functions performed by Drinkaware’s campaign material: normalizing alcohol consumption, defining and delimiting the scope of the issue and the responsible parties, and establishing the organization’s identity as an expert. The article contributes to institutional theory, and to organizational theory more broadly by elaborating on the significant role of visuals in the framing of an issue, particularly by providing a systematic elaboration of the visual framing functions and components. The article also extends the literature on issues and issue fields, by showing how visuals contribute to defining and delimiting issues and establishing an expert identity in an issue field.

A photonumeric scale for the assessment of atrophic facial photodamage.

Photonumeric scales have consistently shown superiority over descriptive equivalents. They have the advantage of providing a consistent visual frame of reference by minimizing variability in perception and subjectivity. A photonumeric scale to assess hypertrophic facial photodamage already exists. However, there is currently no objective measure for atrophic facial photodamage. To address this, we have devised a nine-point photonumeric standardized scale. To design, test and validate a photonumeric scale for the assessment of atrophic facial photodamage against a descriptive scale for the same indication. A pool of 393 facial photographs (en face and 45° oblique) from 131 individuals with atrophic facial photodamage was created. Five photographic standards were selected and assigned grades zero through to eight, where zero is no photodamage and eight is severe atrophic photodamage, thus making a nine-point scale. Twenty photographs spanning the entire range of values were selected to test the scale. Testing was performed alongside a descriptive equivalent. A panel of 10 dermatologists, 10 nondermatology clinicians and 14 dermatology scientists marked the two scales; marking was repeated 1 week later. There was a significantly greater agreement between the graders using the photonumeric scale than the descriptive scale (kappa values 0·71 and 0·37 with standardized errors of 0·57 and 0·17, respectively) with no significant difference in repeatability between the two methods (P < 0·05). The study describes a new photonumeric scale for atrophic photodamage. This would be a useful adjunct in both the clinical and research settings.

The impact of frames highlighting coastal flooding in the USA on climate change beliefs

There is a pressing need to find ways to communicate information about climate change effectively and in terms that resonate with diverse audiences. We conducted a survey-experiment to evaluate how textual and visual frames that highlight coastal flooding in two major US cities as a result of future sea level rise shape individuals’ perceptions about the effects on coastal communities, concern for these places, and belief in climate change’s existence. We build on extant literature by focusing on the impact of an understudied frame using animated maps that illustrate future flooding that will occur as global temperatures rise. We find that exposure to such messages increases perceptions that sea level rise will have negative impacts on coastal communities, concern for these communities, and belief in climate change.

Interpreting Images of Fracking: How Visual Frames and Standing Attitudes Shape Perceptions of Environmental Risk and Economic Benefit

ABSTRACTThe news media’s increased reliance on visual communication to illustrate complex processes and promote learning stresses the importance of investigating how visual content impacts the understanding of scientific issues. In this paper, we investigate how members of the public interpret and make sense of differentially framed images of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) depicting environmental risk, economic benefit, or issue protest. For the analysis, a repeated measures online experiment was conducted with 250 participants to evaluate 40 photographs of fracking operations and consequences. Quantitative coding and thematic analysis of open-ended responses to the images reveal that standing attitudes, operationalized as support, opposition, or indecision about fracking, segments viewers into distinct groups and shapes interpretations of environmental risk and economic benefit. Issue opponents are more likely to indicate concern for the environment regardless of frame shown, whereas undecideds and supporters cite the impact on human health more frequently, largely in relation to job site safety. Supporters also see the least ambiguity, and most economic gains, in images about the controversial production practice.

Visual framing effects on emotion and mental health message effectiveness

ABSTRACTBackground: Framing used in health communication makes certain perspectives salient in order to persuade viewers of healthy behavior to improve mental health. Visuals used in these messages, however, do not always appropriately reflect the purpose of the written message and may interfere with message adherence. Because visuals communicate and elicit emotion more powerfully than text, it is important to investigate how visuals themselves are framed (i.e. what they make salient to viewers) and what effect they have on message effectiveness. Depression among college students provides context for this study, as college students suffer from depression more than other populations, and most do not seek help.Method: An online experiment assessed participants’ (N = 488) reactions to depression messages that incorporated visuals that were framed to reflect three stages of depression: suffering, treatment, recovery. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three message conditions in which they viewed three messages and responded to questions pertaining to affective reactions, perceived behavioral attainment, and aspiration.Results: Participants who viewed messages using recovery-related visual frames reported greater positive emotion and increased aspiration to be like the models in the visuals, while those who viewed suffering-related visual frames reported greater negative emotion and decreased aspiration to be like the models. Positive emotion mediated the relationship between recovery-related visual frames and aspiration.Conclusions: Depression messages that use recovery-related visual frames may be more effective than suffering visual frames in motivating help-seeking behaviors among college students with depressive symptoms.

Do Pictures Tell a Different Story? A multimodal frame analysis of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict

Pictures play an ever-increasing role in the public’s understanding of mediated events. However, many studies show that visuals remain an understudied field, especially when it comes to multimodal approaches. This remains an important issue in today’s media environment, where visuals and their interaction with textual contents are becoming increasingly important carriers of meaning. The following paper presents results from a multimodal quantitative content analysis of the online coverage of the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, wherein an innovative comparative approach to visual and textual frames was applied. We examine the existing frames, identify patterns of visual and textual frame co-occurrence and describe changes of the applied multimodal framing. Overall, a sample of 150 texts and 219 pictures was coded. The study shows that the applied visual and textual frames initially correspond with each other thematically. During the course of the conflict, however, the provided textual and visual framing divert increasingly. While the textual mode more or less upholds its original framing of the events, the visual level intensifies the framing strategy it has adopted since the escalation of the conflict began. As a result, textual coverage focuses more on negotiations and solutions, whereas images become increasingly graphic.

Demonstrations in Visual Frames: Syntagmatic Analysis of Online Photo Albums of Two Egyptian Revolutions

Photos of demonstrations in Egypt have been overwhelmingly used in online news since the revolution of January 25, 2011. This article explores the visual aspects of demonstration photo albums during the political conflicts in Egypt that led to two Egyptian revolutions.1 It scrutinizes the different types of photo albums, considers the differences and similarities between photo album frames and still photograph frames, and implements syntagmatic analysis of demonstration albums. The article concludes that visual framing occurs through nonchronological and sequential syntagmas.

Vizuelno uokvirivanje protesta Protiv diktature

Vizuelno uokvirivanje protesta Protiv diktature

Quantifying a successful translation: A cognitive frame analysis of (un)translatability

Assessing the success of a translated text is one of the controversial topics often discussed in the field of translation studies. The definition of a so-called successful translation is itself controversial. Therefore, for the purpose of this study, the success of a given translation may be defined as transmitting a similar, though rarely identical, semantic frame reference in the Target Language (TL) as was intended by the Source Language (SL) and may be quantified by comparing alternate translations and choosing the one with the highest number of equivalent frame references. One of the factors which could be considered detrimental to the production of a successful translation, as defined above, is the (un)translatability of cultural terms. Cultural terms, defined here as expressions referring to concepts or entities that are unique to a certain culture, are believed to be untranslatable. This paper uses Arabic visual frames referencing the Egyptian garment ǧal-labiy-ya (or ǧilbāb) as an example and argues that (un)translatability can be quantified using semantic frames based on the assumption that all SL terms have multiple frame references, some of which, mostly the ones indicating denotative meaning, have parallels in the TL while some others, mostly the ones indicating connotative meaning, do not. The degree of (un)translatability may, therefore, be quantifiable by observing which TL terms possess a higher rate of similar frame references in SL, which aids in the evaluation of translated texts in terms of relative equivalence and the degree to which the Target Text (TT) audience receives similar information to that received by the Source Text (ST) audience.

Whose photo? Whose voice? Who listens? ‘Giving,’ silencing and listening to voice in participatory visual projects

This article examines participatory visual projects that aspire to enable social change by providing communities with a platform through photography. It argues that projects are sites for negotiating rather ‘giving’ voice and calls for practitioners and researchers to be transparent and reflexive about these negotiated processes. Examining two sets of participant-produced images by refugee youth, one of which was shown publically and one of which went unseen, this article explores issues of control and the biases that shape editorial decisions in NGO-linked participatory visual projects. It demonstrates how voices that do not fit into dominant visual frames tend to be silenced. It is argued that this negates the critical potential of participatory visual work to enable political listening and undermines the plurality of unheard voices that participatory visual work aspires to facilitate. The article raises the central question of listening to the conception of ‘voice’ in participatory visual initiatives. It argues that the political and ideological promise of these projects relates not only to the voices they give rise to but to the kind of listening they enable.

Design follows politics? The visualization of political orientation in newspaper page layout

This article explores how the political orientation of newspapers is reflected in their page layout. The authors compare the layouts of five German national quality newspapers exemplarily and exploratively in a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses. Dimensions of comparison are typography, size, colouration, quantity and arrangement of elements. Results show systematic differences between the page layouts of left-wing and right-wing newspapers. These differences are reflected in the contrast of traditional and contemporary styles and also in the use of ideologically charged typography and colours. In addition, the size of headlines seems to be dependent on political extremity. Graphic design seems to work as an ideological symbol system with different layout styles quite consistently representing partisan positions. If media users could come to learn and recognize such visual patterns, layout could function as a visual frame for political messages.

“You are what you are in this world”: visual framing and exemplification in media coverage of the Guttenfelder Instagram photographs from North Korea

In 2013, photojournalist David Guttenfelder became one of the first people granted access to post images of life within North Korea to Instagram in real-time. This quantitative content analysis examines themes portrayed in Guttenfelder’s Instagram photos and whether news sources that featured Guttenfelder’s work proportionately represented the captured themes or perpetuated stereotypical views of North Korean totalitarianism. Results indicate significant differences in some sources’ depictions of totalitarianism. The study discussed potential media and societal implications.

Rapid and robust initialization for monocular visual inertial navigation within multi-state Kalman filter

Sensor-fusion based navigation attracts significant attentions for its robustness and accuracy in various applications. To achieve a versatile and efficient state estimation both indoor and outdoor, this paper presents an improved monocular visual inertial navigation architecture within the Multi-State Constraint Kalman Filter (MSCKF). In addition, to alleviate the initialization demands by appending enough stable poses in MSCKF, a rapid and robust Initialization MSCKF (I-MSCKF) navigation method is proposed in the paper. Based on the trifocal tensor and sigma-point filter, the initialization of the integrated navigation can be accomplished within three consecutive visual frames. Thus, the proposed I-MSCKF method can improve the navigation performance when suffered from shocks at the initial stage. Moreover, the sigma-point filter is applied at initial stage to improve the accuracy for state estimation. The state vector generated at initial stage from the proposed method is consistent with MSCKF, and thus a seamless transition can be achieved between the initialization and the subsequent navigation in I-MSCKF. Finally, the experimental results show that the proposed I-MSCKF method can improve the robustness and accuracy for monocular visual inertial navigations.

“Memorless”

Though it is crucial to the recognition of asylum seekers as refugees, the discussion about their mediated visual representations within host countries’ media is marginalized in academic discourse. Therefore, this study analyzes the visual coverage of asylum seekers’ protests, held in Israel, between December 2013 and January 2014. A qualitative analysis of 79 photographs, published in two newspapers during that time, reveals that asylum seekers are visually framed as (1) imminent threat to society, and (2) as victims in circumstances they cannot influence. Moreover, (3) they are dehumanized through various visual techniques. These visual framings turn the asylum seekers into “memorless” entities—people carrying neither a unique collective memory nor life stories—thus further complicating asylum seekers’ plight.

Updating of visual orientation in a gravity-based reference frame.

The brain can use multiple reference frames to code line orientation, including head-, object-, and gravity-centered references. If these frames change orientation, their representations must be updated to keep register with actual line orientation. We tested this internal updating during head rotation in roll, exploiting the rod-and-frame effect: The illusory tilt of a vertical line surrounded by a tilted visual frame. If line orientation is stored relative to gravity, these distortions should also affect the updating process. Alternatively, if coding is head- or frame-centered, updating errors should be related to the changes in their orientation. Ten subjects were instructed to memorize the orientation of a briefly flashed line, surrounded by a tilted visual frame, then rotate their head, and subsequently judge the orientation of a second line relative to the memorized first while the frame was upright. Results showed that updating errors were mostly related to the amount of subjective distortion of gravity at both the initial and final head orientation, rather than to the amount of intervening head rotation. In some subjects, a smaller part of the updating error was also related to the change of visual frame orientation. We conclude that the brain relies primarily on a gravity-based reference to remember line orientation during head roll.

Really Social Disaster: An Examination of Photo Sharing on Twitter During the #SCFlood

In the open marketplace of visuals where the most valued photographs “rise to the top” via tweets, likes, and retweets rather than being dictated by professionals, the study of what makes an image go really social is merited. One occurrence during which professional photojournalism and nonprofessional photography truly coexist, intermingle, and blur is that of a natural disaster. A body of research exists that has examined the visual framing of disasters, but none has addressed how these differently framed photos go social online or by whom. In this study, 1,078 Twitter photos shared by professional media outlets and nonprofessional tweeters were examined to see what portrayals of photos are elevated in the network. Established frames and new frames were examined: depictions of people, emotional hierarchy, novelty, victims, ordinary people, uniforms, emergency professionals, valence, pragmatic, human interest, and political. The results add empirical evidence to the different ways that professional members of media and other visual sharers understand, visually communicate, and react to disaster and add to the visual framing literature an element of really social visual framing.

Beyond information: Disclosure, distracted attention, and investor behavior

Financial disclosure documents provide investors with product details to facilitate informed investment decisions. We investigate whether the appearance – the visual frame – of disclosure documents impacts risk and return expectations and investment behavior. In our experiment, subjects decide about investments into real-life mutual funds. We find that subjects expect a smaller return variance, invest more and gather less correct information if visual distractors are present in the visual frame. Distracted attention is one potential explanation of our results suggesting that disclosure policies should take the visual frame into account.

Notes from the podium of an Online Orchestra

Abstract Online Orchestra placed significant demands on its conductor, with a role that included rehearsing and directing remote musicians over the Internet. This article presents a first-hand reflective account from the conductor of Online Orchestra, including details of trials, rehearsals and the final performance. Practical considerations such as conducting technique, visual framing and ensemble seating are considered, as are reflections on conducting in a latency-rich environment. This leads to the conclusion that many traditional approaches to conducting apply in telematic performance, and the suggestion that there is significant scope for musicians to learn and grow in ability when making music online.

Causal inference in the updating and weighting of allocentric and egocentric information for spatial constancy during whole-body motion

It has been reported that the brain combines egocentric and allocentric information to update object positions after an intervening movement. Studies typically use discrete updating tasks (i.e., comparing pre- to post-movement target representations). Such approaches, however, cannot reveal how the brain would weigh the information in these reference frames during the intervening motion. A reasonable assumption is that objects with stable position over time would be more likely to be considered as a reliable allocentric landmark. But inferring whether an object is stable in space while the observer is moving involves attributing perceived changes in location to either the object's or the observer's displacement. Here, we tested this causal inference hypothesis by designing a continuous whole-body motion updating task. At the beginning of a trial, a target was presented for 500 ms, within a large visual frame. As soon as the target disappeared, participants were asked to move a cursor to this location by controlling a linear-guide mounted on the vestibular sled on which they were seated. Participants were translated sideways as soon as their reaching movement started, and they had to maintain the cursor on the remembered target location in space while being moved. During the sled motion, the frame would move with a velocity proportional to that of the sled (gain ranging from -0.7 to 0.7). Participants' responses showed a systematic bias in the direction of the frame displacement, one that increased with the difference between the frame and the sled velocity for small differences, but was decreasing for large differences. This bias pattern provides evidence for humans exploiting a dynamic Bayesian inference process with two causal structures to mediate the dynamic integration of allocentric and egocentric information in spatial updating. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2017.