A Picture in a Frame
Psychology
HOW THE MEDIA USE IMAGES AS A WAY OF FRAMING.
It has been said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, but how do pictures used in the media contribute to the framing effect? Are pictures really worth a thousand words or is the frame those pictures are in worth more?
Framing…It’s not what you say, but how you say it.
The framing effect focuses on the behavioural and attitudinal outcomes based on not what is being communicated, but rather how that information is being presented (or framed).
Entman (2007, p.164) defines framing as: “the process of culling a few elements of perceived reality and assembling a narrative that highlights connections among them to promote a particular interpretation.”
You may be familiar with this phenomena in the media and more than likely have seen it for yourself.
The way in which something is framed has been shown to have an effect on people’s willingness to share that information via social media (Valenzuela, Piña, & Ramírez, 2017). We are used to seeing the big eye-catching text headlines that portray a certain angle on a story. What about the images? Do the images used in the media have the same framing effects as the text?
Seeing is Believing
Compared to text, images evoke a heightened emotional experience (Iyer & Oldmeadow, 2006), are more memorable (Newhagen & Reeves, 1992), and have been shown to influence attitudes (Nelson, Oxley, & Clawson, 1997), opinions and behavioural intentions (Schuck & de Vreese, 2006). On top of this, images also portray meaning faster than that of text (Barry, 1997).
Many studies have been carried out to investigate the role images have in framing. One study carried out by Iyer et al. (2014) gave participants a neutral text on the topic of the 2005 London bombings followed by photographs that either focused on terrorists or victims. These photographs evoked specific emotions of either sympathy (victims) or fear or anger (terrorists). This, in turn, influenced their support for specific policies.
Similary, Scharrer & Blackburn (2015) found that the use of military, graphic photographs led to decreased support for the war. Gartner (2011) also found a decrease in support for war when conventional images of loss were used.
It is not just conflict and war where we find this visual framing effect. The phenomenon can be seen across a variety of topics. For example, Heuer, McClure & Puhl (2011) studied visual framing effects of obesity and found that 72% of images depicting an overweight or obese person were negatively portrayed, which led to a negative public perception of obese people.
Arpan et al. (2006) found that when participants who were interested in social protests were shown images of social protests with higher levels of conflict this led to the participants having a more negative evaluation of the protest and protesters, even if the violence was a small part and most of the protest had actually been peaceful.
What these studies show is that pictures have a powerful impact on emotions, behaviour and attitudes. Maybe seeing is believing, or at the very least, seeing has an influence on what you believe.
The Bigger Picture
The images that the media use have great power. Even if the image and the text contradict each other, individuals will tend to go with the information being presented visually rather than the one portrayed by the text. This is known as the picture superiority effect (Gibson & Zillmann, 2000).
This can be seen by Leslie Stahl’s critical voiceovers of Ronald Reagan’s manipulated pictures, which even after this manipulation was pointed out, the audience still had positive associations about Reagan. This shows that the reaction of the audience to the images was more powerful than the words (Lichter & Noyes, 1995).
These studies and findings highlight the importance of visual framing in the media. A quote by Coleman (2010, p.243) sums up the issue very nicely:
“THIS EVIDENCE OF THE POWER OF IMAGES, COMBINED WITH VIEWERS’ LACK OF AWARENESS OF THAT POWER, MAKES THE FRAMING OF IMAGES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.”
The people who should be aware of this phenomenon are not only journalists (which can be just about anyone in today’s technologically advanced society) but also the readers, the viewers, the general public. So, next time, you upload an image, be aware that a photo can have outcomes far beyond what you envision. Next time you see an image in the media be mindful of how that image could influence your behaviours and attitude. Be critical of what you see and remind yourself…
“If a picture really does speak a thousand words, the frame those pictures are in speak more.”
Original article on: https://tgrassowtruthbetold.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/a-picture-in-a-frame/