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In the eye of the beholder : Visual communication from a recipient perspective

Holsanova, Jana LU orcid (2014) In Handbooks of Communication Science 4. p.331-355
Abstract
Why do viewers perceive and interpret visuals differently despite common perceptual and cognitive mechanisms? The article addresses a number of challenges in visual communication and underlines the need for empirical analyses from a recipient perspective. Perception and interpretation of visuals is seen as an interactive meeting between the recipient, the multimodal message and the situational context. The form and contents of the visual message serves as a starting point. However, even personal characteristics of the viewers modulate perception and interpretation of visuals. Differences in perception also arise thanks to different goals for the visual examination, the viewers’ expectations, domain knowledge or expertise, emotions and... (More)
Why do viewers perceive and interpret visuals differently despite common perceptual and cognitive mechanisms? The article addresses a number of challenges in visual communication and underlines the need for empirical analyses from a recipient perspective. Perception and interpretation of visuals is seen as an interactive meeting between the recipient, the multimodal message and the situational context. The form and contents of the visual message serves as a starting point. However, even personal characteristics of the viewers modulate perception and interpretation of visuals. Differences in perception also arise thanks to different goals for the visual examination, the viewers’ expectations, domain knowledge or expertise, emotions and attitudes. Finally, the context in which images are displayed, perceived and interpreted plays an important role in this process. All of these three aspects modulate the process of meaning–making and can be studied by using a multidisciplinary framework and integrated theories and methods. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
visual communication, perceptual and cognitive mechanisms, recipient perspective, differences in perception and interpretation of visuals
host publication
Visual communication
series title
Handbooks of Communication Science
editor
Machin, David
volume
4
pages
331 - 355
publisher
De Gruyter
external identifiers
  • wos:000341975000016
  • scopus:85119127114
ISSN
2199-627X
2199-6288
ISBN
978-3-11-025548-5
978-3-11-037052-2
DOI
10.1515/9783110255492.331
project
Thinking in Time: Cognition, Communication and Learning
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d641eb9f-5298-4b2e-9cc9-5d5559e81d5e (old id 3165650)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 12:20:21
date last changed
2024-11-25 19:57:19
@inbook{d641eb9f-5298-4b2e-9cc9-5d5559e81d5e,
  abstract     = {{Why do viewers perceive and interpret visuals differently despite common perceptual and cognitive mechanisms? The article addresses a number of challenges in visual communication and underlines the need for empirical analyses from a recipient perspective. Perception and interpretation of visuals is seen as an interactive meeting between the recipient, the multimodal message and the situational context. The form and contents of the visual message serves as a starting point. However, even personal characteristics of the viewers modulate perception and interpretation of visuals. Differences in perception also arise thanks to different goals for the visual examination, the viewers’ expectations, domain knowledge or expertise, emotions and attitudes. Finally, the context in which images are displayed, perceived and interpreted plays an important role in this process. All of these three aspects modulate the process of meaning–making and can be studied by using a multidisciplinary framework and integrated theories and methods.}},
  author       = {{Holsanova, Jana}},
  booktitle    = {{Visual communication}},
  editor       = {{Machin, David}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-11-025548-5}},
  issn         = {{2199-627X}},
  keywords     = {{visual communication; perceptual and cognitive mechanisms; recipient perspective; differences in perception and interpretation of visuals}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{331--355}},
  publisher    = {{De Gruyter}},
  series       = {{Handbooks of Communication Science}},
  title        = {{In the eye of the beholder : Visual communication from a recipient perspective}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110255492.331}},
  doi          = {{10.1515/9783110255492.331}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}