Major
International Studies
Anticipated Graduation Year
2024
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
In this study, the complex relationship between campaign videos’ emotional valence, perceived cultural distance (PCD), and engagement is examined using surveys and biometric data. The present study aims to establish PCD as a mediator of engagement with international human rights issues, particularly, refugee and migration crises, according to the emotional intensity of the campaign video. Biometric data including facial expression analysis and galvanic skin response were used to validate positive, negative, and neutral valence video conditions. Based on previous studies, it was predicted that PCD decreases significantly after watching positive campaigns and negative campaigns. The resulting decrease in PCD was predicted lead to increased engagement across all three dimensions. A within-subjects study design was executed in which all participants reported a pre-test PCD level, then reported PCD and engagement after watching each of three video campaigns in a randomized order. Biometric data was used to validate emotional valence. Preliminary data analyses reveal that participants are significantly more willing to engage across all dimensions after watching the negative-valence campaign video than after the neutral and positive videos. Additionally, exposure to the negative-valence video campaign caused both external PCD and overall PCD levels to significantly increase. These findings can be used to inform the design of human rights organizations’ campaigns to best promote engagement. This study was conducted as a part of BHNR 343 at Loyola University Chicago.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Dinko Bacic, Associate Professor, Department of Information Systems
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Emotional Appeals’ Effect on Perceived Cultural Distance as a Mediator of Human Rights Engagement
In this study, the complex relationship between campaign videos’ emotional valence, perceived cultural distance (PCD), and engagement is examined using surveys and biometric data. The present study aims to establish PCD as a mediator of engagement with international human rights issues, particularly, refugee and migration crises, according to the emotional intensity of the campaign video. Biometric data including facial expression analysis and galvanic skin response were used to validate positive, negative, and neutral valence video conditions. Based on previous studies, it was predicted that PCD decreases significantly after watching positive campaigns and negative campaigns. The resulting decrease in PCD was predicted lead to increased engagement across all three dimensions. A within-subjects study design was executed in which all participants reported a pre-test PCD level, then reported PCD and engagement after watching each of three video campaigns in a randomized order. Biometric data was used to validate emotional valence. Preliminary data analyses reveal that participants are significantly more willing to engage across all dimensions after watching the negative-valence campaign video than after the neutral and positive videos. Additionally, exposure to the negative-valence video campaign caused both external PCD and overall PCD levels to significantly increase. These findings can be used to inform the design of human rights organizations’ campaigns to best promote engagement. This study was conducted as a part of BHNR 343 at Loyola University Chicago.