Author ORCID Identifier
Santo - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2057-1519
Subramanian - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7916-0378
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-27-2023
Publication Title
Visual Communication Quarterly
Volume
30
Issue
4
First Page
234
Last Page
250
Abstract
This study investigated how picture concreteness (cartoon versus photo) and mental illness prevalence level (high versus low) in mental health messages influence mental illness stigma via a within-subjects online experiment (N = 92). Findings revealed that, compared to cartoons, photos elicited greater empathic closeness, decreased social distancing intention (especially for the low-prevalence mental illnesses of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), and increased intention to support mental health policies. Compared to photos, cartoons increased comprehension (especially for the high-prevalence mental illnesses of depression and anxiety) and reduced personal responsibility for mental illness. Messages about high-prevalence mental illnesses compared to low-prevalence mental illnesses elicited more empathic closeness, lower social distancing intention, and higher message dissemination intention.
Recommended Citation
Roma Subramanian, Sungkyoung Lee, Jonathan B. Santo & Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway (2023) Concrete or Abstract? The Effects of Picture Concreteness and Mental Illness Prevalence on Destigmatizing Mental Illnesses, Visual Communication Quarterly, 30:4, 234-250, DOI: 10.1080/15551393.2023.2283018
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Visual Communication Quarterly on December 27, 2023, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2023.2283018