Understanding Visual Literacy and Its Impact on Communication

Advantages of visuals

Visuals can convey a lot of meaning quickly and easily.

People often make quick judgments about info 

Reasons why visuals have been overlooked in communication

Because visuals have a physical referent. 

Because visuals are not governed by explicit rules. 

Because visuals are full of emotion 

Because many argue visuals are used to distort reality 

Visual literacy

The ability to critically read and extract meaning from visual images.

Visual literacy theory

Explains how and why visual understanding works.

5 pillars of visual literacy

Visual communication  

• We communication visually 

Visual language  

• There is a unique visual language, parallel (complements) to verbal language 

Visual learning  

• Visual literacy is a teachable, learnable skill 

Visual perception= won’t focus on this  

• Visual perception describes the mechanics of vision and visual interpretation 

Visual thinking  

• We can think visually as well as verbally  

Accepted manipulation techniques

Cropping

Burning (making areas of an image darker)  

Dodging (Making areas of an image brighter) 

Shallowfake

slow down, speed up, or change the background about an image or video.

Deepfake

AI technology changing an original image or video.

Liar's dividend

We have become so distrustful that anytime someone questions the authenticity of a video, we will mostly likely believe it was fake.

What is framing?

The way an issue or person is covered or explained influences how we think about it or them.

What is visual framing?

Can show a person, group, event, or issue in a more favorable or less favorable light.

What are Gain-frames?

Highlight the benefits of performing a recommended behavior.

What are loss-frames?

emphasize the cost of noncompliance.

What are Matched frames

Gain-frame + positive visual  

Loss-frame +negative visual

Example of mismatched frames?

Gain-frame + negative visual  

Loss-frame + positive visual   

First Visual framing level?

Denotative systems:

• Most basic level   

• Description of visual elements and themes   

• ‘Who or what is being depicted here? 

Second Visual framing level?

Stylistic-Semiotic Systems:

• Editorial and design conventions present in the visual   

• Choices the photographer, artist, editor make to signify different meanings   

  Ex= Importance of the issue, intimacy   

Third Visual framing level?

Connotative Systems:

• Symbolic meaning associated with or attracted to a person, object, or event.

• Ex= visual metaphors (waving white flag, grabbing hot sauce with tongs because its so hot) 

Fourth Visual framing level?

Ideological representations

1. Most abstract   

2. Underlying argument or attitude of the image   

   This is where framing valence is determined and if it matches the language frame (if present) 

Functions of political images?

Image as argument

Agenda setting

Dramatization

Emotional

Image-building

Identification

Documentation

Societal symbol

Transportation

Ambiguity

Image as Argument Function

Visuals imply their argument or conclusion 

Images highlight the importance of nonverbals 

Positive/negative valence 

Agenda Setting

There is a strong relationship between the emphasis that mass media place on certain issues (Amount of coverage, place of story) and the importance attributed to these issues by mass audiences   

People are more likely to pay attention to appealing images 

HAS TO BE THE NEWS 

Dramatization Function

Focuses on drama more than in-depth story  

Heated debates and conflicts rather than arguments in politicians  

Emotional Function

How content is designed to evoke strong emotions—such as fear, joy, sadness, or anger—to engage audiences, influence opinions, and drive reactions.

Image-Building Function

Visuals create impression we have of a politician or political figure.

Angles are important

Identification function

Visuals create perceived similarity between the politician and the audience.

Documentation Function

Visuals serve as evidence of argumentative claims.

Societal Symbol function

Politicians use symbols to communicate something about themselves (flags, military, sports, past leaders).

Transportation Function

Allows people to mentally and emotionally 'travel' beyond reality.

Ambiguity Function

Visuals are used to make controversial arguments.

What are the semantic properties?

Iconic

Indexical signs

Symbols

Iconic

Similarity between the image and its physical referent 

Based on shape, color, and other visual details 

Indexical signs

Physical trace left by an object (proof it exists/can buy it).

ex= WInd and the McDonalds hands

Symbols

Agreed upon meaning of the visual (social convention).

Visual would not have that meaning if we did not decide it did.

Syntactic properties

Visual metaphors, puns, personification, simile, hyperbole, Visual narratives , Juxtaposition of images 

Theory of mood management

Excitatory potential

Absorption potential

Semantic affinity

Hedonic valence

Excitatory potential?

Physiological arousal (Can make us feel more calm/ relaxed or feel excited/ nervous) 

Absorption potential?

“Getting lost” in the content (bad mood= absorbing to favorite show/ video game) (may be avoided if favorite genre is rom-com but you just broke up w gf) 

Semantic affinity?

We select media to match our mood  (if you are sad= watching sad movie/ listening to sad music) 

Cultivation theory

People who consume a lot of media, especially violent or dramatic content, are more likely to develop a worldview that aligns with the portrayals they see on screen.

Perceptual thought

Concrete, visual thought.

Conceptual thought

Abstract thought.

Law of apparent reality

People respond more emotionally to media content they perceive as real.

Implicit memories

Emotions stored in the amygdala.

Explicit memories

Details stored in the hippocampus.

Theory of excitation transfer

Your adrenaline goes way up then you enter a rush of relief (euphoria).

Fear control process?

Message--> Perceived threat--> defensive motivation--> Message rejection

Components of a Fear Appeal

Threat information and efficacy information.

Threat information

Severity= Severity (bad/negative) of the threat (threat to death or just sore throat) 

Susceptibility= The risk of experiencing a negative outcome 

Efficacy Information

Information that includes response efficacy and self-efficacy.Response efficacy: Recommended behavior will successfully prevent negative outcomes (here’s how you can prevent...) 

Self-efficacy: Reassurance of audiences’ ability to perform recommended behavior or steps to take (Steps) 

According to the extended parallel process model (EPPM), a ____ fear appeal results in fear control and defensive avoidance or reactance? 

High threat, low efficacy  

If a person is afraid of the image, it is likely because they engage in? 

Perceptual thought

Phone being dipped into water is the physical trace of the actual object and action. What sign is this? 

Indexical sign

Green areas on the map? 

Iconic sign

Which semantic property is a visual least likely to have? 

Symbolic sign

Visual literacy

A skill one must learn and practice.

Visual 'literacy'

Learned through real life experiences.

Advantages of visuals?

They can convey a lot of meaning quickly and easily.

In the manipulated image on Facebook study (Cepak & Mesyn, 2020), we categorized most of the user comments as expressing which visual literacy skill? 

evaluating image sources 

When you describe a visual at its basic level, like describing the objects or people in the visual, which level of framing are you applying? 

Denotative systems

Politicians primarily use social media to visually accomplish which of the following function-related goals? 

To create or build a particular image(s) with the public.

Image bite?

A politician standing in front of a large crowd with a dramatic gesture, or a striking photo from a protest 

Hedonic valence?

media have emotional valence (pleasant mood= comedy, unpleasant= unpleasant media--> sad/scary)

Danger control process?

Message--> Perceived threat + Perceived Efficacy--> Protection Motivation--> Message acceptance   

Which type of information describes how the recommended behavior successfully prevents a negative outcome from happening? 

Response efficacy