Psychophysiological Responses to Still vs. Animated Pictures With Different Levels of Emotional Valence

Abstract

With the rapid development of multimedia and Internet technologies, understanding what visual contexts are well-received among viewers is important for message designers and visual practitioners. This study investigated the effects of valence (positive vs. negative), picture type (animated vs. still), and their interaction effect on attention, motivational intensity (sympathetic arousal), memory sensitivity and judgment. Eighty-seven participants in a mixed factorial design experiment were exposed to six pictures that were either animated or still. Results indicated that animated pictures led to greater attention and motivational intensity than still ones. Negative pictures also elicited greater motivational intensity but were less remembered than positive ones. Additionally, people exhibited greater sympathetic arousal when processing negative animated pictures than other types of pictures. Implications are also discussed.