How taking photos increases enjoyment of experiences.

Abstract

Experiences are vital to the lives and well-being of people; hence, understanding the factors that amplify or dampen enjoyment of experiences is important. One such factor is photo-taking, which has gone unexamined by prior research even as it has become ubiquitous. We identify engagement as a relevant process that influences whether photo-taking will increase or decrease enjoyment. Across 3 field and 6 lab experiments, we find that taking photos enhances enjoyment of positive experiences across a range of contexts and methodologies. This occurs when photo-taking increases engagement with the experience, which is less likely when the experience itself is already highly engaging, or when photo-taking interferes with the experience. As further evidence of an engagement-based process, we show that photo-taking directs greater visual attention to aspects of the experience one may want to photograph. Lastly, we also find that this greater engagement due to photo-taking results in worse evaluations of negative experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record

How and when taking pictures undermines the enjoyment of experiences

“…Research has shown that even unpleasant tasks (e.g., shocking yourself) are more enjoyable than doing nothing at all (Wilson et al, ). Therefore, adding a mildly enjoyable activity such as taking pictures may increase engagement and increase enjoyment of the experience, as Diehl et al () found.…”

“…Careful inspection of the experiences studied by Diehl et al () reveals a possible resolution: All but one of their studies demonstrating a positive effect of photography on enjoyment involved an experience that was moderately enjoyable (e.g., a meal at a food court and a museum visit). Thus, Diehl et al’s () studies involved a comparison of taking pictures versus not, for moderately enjoyable experiences; their studies did not involve highly enjoyable experiences. In contrast, the experiences described by the press as being harmed by picture taking were highly enjoyable or meaningful: For example, people attending concerts by their favorite bands or parents watching their children perform.…”

“…Diehl et al () argue that taking pictures increases engagement by directing attention toward the experience itself, consequently increasing enjoyment. Their results indicated that an individual may, at baseline, be relatively unengaged during a moderately enjoyable experience, and thus, a secondary task (such as picture taking) can increase both engagement and enjoyment by giving the person something else to do.…”

“…First, the study explores various perspectives on the effect of picture taking on experience enjoyment. Then, the study develops hypotheses and re‐examines prior research that found a positive relationship between picture taking and enjoyment (Diehl et al, ). Finally, a series of studies investigate the effects of picture taking on the enjoyment of highly enjoyable experiences.…”

“…Pictures may even be changing the occasions themselves: For some people, vacations are transforming from an occasion to get away and relax to an opportunity to capture the best‐looking moments on camera (Bilton, ; Duggan, ). Given the ubiquity of picture taking, an important research question is whether photography enhances or diminishes the enjoyment of experiences (Diehl, Zauberman, & Barasch, ), particularly highly enjoyable experiences (Arnould & Price, ; Bhattacharjee & Mogilner, ).…”