How image content correlates with image perception

Printed newspapers contain various images that accompany and illustrate news articles: photographs, maps, drawings, information graphics, diagrams, graphs, computer-generated graphics. However, very little is known about how readers interact with these images. Which types of images get most attention? Which image contents are attended to most by the readers?

In our interdisciplinary project, we combine theories and methods from media and communication studies and cognitive studies on visual perception in order to find out how image content correlates with image perception. We use a relational database that we have created during previous newspaper studies where we used eye tracking methodology (see project Reading styles on a newspaper spread - semiotic analysis and eye movement analysis). In the current project, we proceed in the following way: First, we create a coding scheme and conduct a content analysis of the images in the newspaper material. Second, we formulate hypothesis about readers interaction with these images. Third, we use collected data from newspaper reading in our database and correlate our hypotheses with readers' authentic interaction with the newspaper images.

Research leaders
Jana Holsanova, Cognitive Science Department
Helena Sandberg, Media and communication studies

Members
Nelly Theobald, Master student affiliated to the Department of Communication and Media, Trier university
Nils Holmberg, Media and communication studies