Exemplification Effects of Multimedia Enhancements

Abstract

This research addresses multimedia effects through the lens of exemplification, thereby providing insight into consequences of using multimedia to embellish news content. Specifically, the study examines whether the vivid display of multimedia enhancements could influence the way people perceive issues reported in the accompanying stories. A 3 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial experiment was conducted with exemplar valence and exemplar vividness presented via multimedia elements and time of response serving as factors. According to the results, the content of multimedia additions created a shift in issue perception. The more interesting finding was the interaction effect of valence and vividness in multimedia exemplification. Valence of highly vivid exemplars was more likely to bias issue perception than did valence of non-vivid exemplars. This effect occurred in the presence of identical, two-sided textual content across all conditions. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Notes

The author would like to thank Rhonda Gibson at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the editorial advisory board for their invaluable feedback in various stages of this project.

1. According to a power analysis conducted prior to data collection, the saturated model among between-subjects contrasts has a power of 70% to detect an effect size of .8. For the marginal main effect model, the effect size is .46. By the Cohen's standard (Cohen, 1988), this effect size is between small and medium.

2. Only responses indicating perceptions of the Africa and Mindanao issues were used as dependent variables in this study. Questions regarding the emissions issue served as disguise and were not used to measure perceptions.

3. In the questionnaire, two items were used for direct contact (travel to Africa and travel to the Philippines). However, only one participant in this study reported to have had direct contact with the Philippines. Therefore, only responses to the travel to Africa question were included in the analysis.