Encoding Systems and Evolved Message Processing: Pictures Enable Action, Words Enable Thinking

Abstract

This paper, based on theories of ecological perception, embodied motivated cognition, and evolutionary psychology, proposes that pictures elicit evolved biologically imperative responses more quickly and thoroughly than do words. These biologically imperative responses are directly responsible for evolved automatic reactions away from biological threats (e.g. escaping predators, avoiding disease and noxious stimuli) and towards opportunities (e.g. consuming food, approaching mates, finding shelter) in the environment. When elicited, these responses take time to occur and may delay or interfere with other types of behavior. Thus, when environmental information is presented in pictures (which should elicit larger biological responses than words) biological responses should interfere more with higher order tasks like information processing and cognitive decision-making. To test this proposition we designed an experiment in which participants performed speeded categorizations of 60 pairs of matched pleasant and unpleasant environmental opportunities and threats. They categorized the items based on their form (is this a word or a picture?) or based on how the picture made them feel (is this pleasant or unpleasant to you?). If pictures do elicit greater biologically imperative responses than their word counterparts, participants should be able to make form decisions faster than feeling decisions, especially when presented with words rather than pictures and especially when the words and pictures have less biological relevance. This main proposition was supported. Implications for this proposition in terms of communication theory are discussed.

When Visual Cues Activate Moral Foundations: Unintended Effects of Visual Portrayals of Vaping within Electronic Cigarette Video Advertisements

“…Lastly, the current study demonstrated the visuals’ efficacy to shift emotions, harm beliefs, and policy opinions, which extends visuals’ documented cognitive primacy effects regarding automatic attention allocation, encoding, and recall (Geise & Baden, 2015; Lang et al, 2015; Lochbuehler et al, 2017). Although there was no evidence that visual vaping cues had activated pro-vaping moral intuitions strong enough to outweigh moral reasoning ( p = n.s.…”

“…Although MFT has not specified how moral intuitions and moral reasoning could be differentially activated by visual versus verbal messages, information processing theory and research suggest that visuals are more likely to trigger moral intuitions and verbal information more likely to induce moral reasoning. Verbal information consists of human-made symbols that are processed serially and require cognitive efforts to activate mental representations of the content of the symbols; in contrast, visuals are direct representations of objects and actions in the physical world that humans can readily perceive (Lang, 2014; Lang, Bailey, & Connolly, 2015). The consequence is that visuals are more likely than verbal information to automatically draw attention, arouse emotions, and activate evolved physiological responses (e.g., approaching food and avoiding dangers, Geise & Baden, 2015; Lang et al, 2015; Lang, 2014).…”

“…Verbal information consists of human-made symbols that are processed serially and require cognitive efforts to activate mental representations of the content of the symbols; in contrast, visuals are direct representations of objects and actions in the physical world that humans can readily perceive (Lang, 2014; Lang, Bailey, & Connolly, 2015). The consequence is that visuals are more likely than verbal information to automatically draw attention, arouse emotions, and activate evolved physiological responses (e.g., approaching food and avoiding dangers, Geise & Baden, 2015; Lang et al, 2015; Lang, 2014). Geise and Baden (2015) have reviewed extensive evidence showing that visuals could automatically grab attention, gain salience during the perception stage, and result in better encoding and recall.…”

How government-controlled media shifts policy attitudes through framing

“…Our treatment approximates the mainstream consensus found in some authoritarian regimes because respondents are exposed to only one frame and the treatment does not provide contextual information linking predisposition to the state's espoused policy position. This finding may also be influenced by the type of content-narrow and issue-specific-and the video medium of our government-controlled media treatment that activates multiple sensory channels and elicits strong emotional and physiological responses (Houts et al, 2006;Kensinger and Schacter, 2006;Lang et al, 2015).…”

Brand lone wolf: The importance of brand narrative in creating extremists

“…Negative content has proven to be more powerful than positive content (Lang et al, 2015), especially when it comes to recall and effect on behaviour and cognition (Nabi, 1996). People with pre-existing mental conditions that make them susceptible to depression and anxiety, a common background trait with lone wolves, are even more likely to recall and be influenced by negative information (Gotlib, 1983).…”