Theories of the Visual: Part II
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Theories of the Visual: Part II October 13, 2011
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Theories of the Visual: Part II. October 13 , 2011. The Psychology of Rhetorical Images. Charles A. Hill. The Psychology of Rhetorical Images. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Theories of the Visual: Part II
Theories of the Visual:Part IIOctober 13, 2011
The Psychology of Rhetorical Images
Charles A. Hill
The Psychology of Rhetorical Images
“How exactly do images persuade?
In other words, how do
representational images work to influence the
beliefs, attitudes, opinions—and
sometimes actions—of those who
view them?” (25) Kevin Carter’s 1994 Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Cultural Studies
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Cultural Studies Conventional Wisdom
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Cultural Studies “scholars analyze the way
in which culturally shared values and assumptions are utilized in persuasive communication”(26)
“how these shared values and assumptions influence viewers’ responses to mass-produced images”(26)
Conventional Wisdom
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Cultural Studies “scholars analyze the way
in which culturally shared values and assumptions are utilized in persuasive communication”(26)
“how these shared values and assumptions influence viewers’ responses to mass-produced images”(26)
Conventional Wisdom “representational
images tend to prompt emotional reactions and that, once the viewer’s emotions are excited, they tend to override his or her rational faculties. . .”(26)
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Psychology
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Psychology “Psychological research
suggests that this conventional explanation of the rhetorical power of images is broadly accurate in outline, although inadequate for explaining how persuasive images work”(26)
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Psychology “Psychological research
suggests that this conventional explanation of the rhetorical power of images is broadly accurate in outline, although inadequate for explaining how persuasive images work”(26)
What Hill’s Up To
Approaches to Understanding How Visual Appeals Operate
Psychology “Psychological research
suggests that this conventional explanation of the rhetorical power of images is broadly accurate in outline, although inadequate for explaining how persuasive images work”(26)
What Hill’s Up To “Ultimately, a
comprehensive theory of visual persuasion will need to incorporate insights gathered from a variety of viewpoints and methodologies, including cultural, psychological, and textual studies. . .”(26)
“However, many rhetorical concepts
already exist that were not developed
exclusively for the study of verbal elements, and it makes sense to begin
a study of rhetorical images by mining these
concepts to see what insights they may offer that could be applied to
such images” (27).
Images and Rhetorical Presence
Images and Rhetorical Presence
“Presence”
Images and Rhetorical Presence
“refers to the extent to which an object or concept is foremost in the consciousness of the audience members . . . elements with enhanced presence will have a greater influence over the audience’s attitudes and beliefs”(28)
“Presence”
Images and Rhetorical Presence
“an object or person is more present to us when we can see it directly” (29)
“Presence”
Images and Rhetorical Presence
“an object or person is more present to us when we can see it directly” (29)
Consider the difference rhetorically between this and this. Both these artifacts are “about” the same subject. Which has more impact? Why?
Images and Rhetorical Presence
“an object or person is more present to us when we can see it directly” (29)
“The phenomenon of presence in inherently linked to visual perception”(29)
“a photograph is an “index”—it proves the existence of an object (29)
Consider the difference rhetorically between this and this. Both these artifacts are “about” the same subject. Which has more impact? Why?
The Psychology of Rhetorical Images
“vividness”
The Psychology of Rhetorical Images
“vividness” “vivid information is identified as information that is emotionally interesting and concrete” (31)
“the more vivid the information, the more likely it is that the information will prompt an emotional response from the receiver”(31)
The Psychology of Rhetorical Images
“vividness” BUT… “although many
studies have shown vivid evidence to be more persuasive than non-vivid information, several other studies found no persuasive advantage for vividness” (32).
Vivid Information and Emotions
Evolutionary responses
Cultural forces
Vivid Information and Emotions
Evolutionary responses
Cultural forces
“In many persuasive appeals that use images, the images elicit emotions largely because these images instantiate one of these [cultural values], and evoking one of these cultural constructs causes the emotions that are linked to it to be instantiated”(35)
Building ConnectionsWhat Scholars
Agree On: Persuasive elements that
evoke strong emotions in the audience tend to have an extraordinary amount of persuasive power
This phenomenon is connected to visual perception; the production of mental images is more likely to have more persuasive weight (35-36)
Advertising“a visceral response to a stimulus” not a “conscious decision”(37)
The Rhetoric of Visual Arguments
J. Anthony Blair
The Rhetoric of Visual Arguments
“I take it as part of my task, then, to address the relationship among
these three: rhetoric, argument, and the visual. How can there be visual arguments when arguments as we
usually know them are verbal? And if there can be visual arguments, what
is their rhetorical aspect?. . .What does being visual add to
arguments?”(41)
The Rhetoric of Visual Arguments
The enthymeme: “an argument in which the arguer deliberately leaves unstated a premise that is essential to its reasoning. Doing so has the effect of drawing in the audience to participate in its own persuasion by filling in that unexpressed premise.”(41)
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism Enthymeme
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
All cats are mammals. (major premise)
Enthymeme
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
All cats are mammals. (major premise)
Fluffy is a cat.(minor premise)
Enthymeme
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
All cats are mammals. (major premise)
Fluffy is a cat.(minor premise)
Therefore, fluffy is a mammal. (conclusion)
Enthymeme
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
All cats are mammals. (major premise)
Fluffy is a cat.(minor premise)
Therefore, fluffy is a mammal. (conclusion)
Enthymeme
Some politicians are corrupt.
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
All cats are mammals. (major premise)
Fluffy is a cat.(minor premise)
Therefore, fluffy is a mammal. (conclusion)
Enthymeme
Some politicians are corrupt.
Therefore, Senator Jones could be corrupt.
Logic Lesson!
Syllogism
All cats are mammals. (major premise)
Fluffy is a cat.(minor premise)
Therefore, fluffy is a mammal. (conclusion)
Enthymeme
Some politicians are corrupt.
Therefore, Senator Jones could be corrupt.
Logic Lesson!
Edward P. J. Corbett described the difference between syllogism and enthymeme this way: "[T]he syllogism leads to a necessary conclusion from universally true premises but the enthymeme
leads to a tentative conclusion from probable premises. In dealing contingent human affairs, we cannot always discover or
confirm what truth is."
Defining Rhetoric
Defining Rhetoric
Olivier Reboul: “Here, then, is the definition we propose: rhetoric is the art of persuading by means of speech.”(42)
Defining Rhetoric
Olivier Reboul: “Here, then, is the definition we propose: rhetoric is the art of persuading by means of speech.”(42)
Sonja Foss, Karen Foss and Robert Trapp: rhetoric is “the uniquely human ability to use symbols to communicate with one another” –including visual rhetoric (42)
Persuasion
For Reboul: “rhetorical persuasion consists in causing someone to believe by means of speech” (42)
For Blair: “What seems to be a necessary ingredient in persuasion as a kind of cause of behavior change is that the person persuaded assents to the pressure of the vector of influence” (43).
Persuasion
For Reboul: “rhetorical persuasion consists in causing someone to believe by means of speech” (42)
For Blair: “What seems to be a necessary ingredient in persuasion as a kind of cause of behavior change is that the person persuaded assents to the pressure of the vector of influence” (43).
The person consciously assents
Against Arguments Being Visual
The Vagueness Objection
Answer: vagueness inhabits both spoken and written arguments (46)
Against Arguments Being Visual
Visual Communication does not have truth values and so cannot convey propositions (47)
Answer #1: Propositions are essential; it is possible to express propositions visually (47)
Answer #2: Arguments are used for primary purposes other than to cause belief change (ie. changing attitudes, behavior) (48)
The “Daisy” ad
“. . .visual arguments constitute the species of visual persuasion in which the visual elements overlie, accentuate, render vivid and immediate, and otherwise elevate in forcefulness a reason or set of reasons offered for modifying a belief, an attitude or one’s conduct. What distinguishes visual arguments from other forms of visual persuasion is that in the case of the former it is possible to enunciate reasons given to support a claim, whereas in the case of the latter no such element is present.”(50-51)
Genres of Visual Argument
Cartoons
Genres of Visual Argument
Cartoons Film
Genres of Visual Argument
Cartoons Film Ads Anything else?
Conclusions
“Argument, in the traditional sense, can readily be visual” (59)
Conclusions
“Argument, in the traditional sense, can readily be visual” (59)
The visual has an “immediacy” the helps influence acceptance that isn’t available to the verbal
Conclusions
“Argument, in the traditional sense, can readily be visual” (59)
The visual has an “immediacy” the helps influence acceptance that isn’t available to the verbal
Visual argument tends to be one-sided, “presenting the case both for or the case against, but not both together”(59).
Conclusions
“Argument, in the traditional sense, can readily be visual” (59)
The visual has an “immediacy” the helps influence acceptance that isn’t available to the verbal
Visual argument tends to be one-sided, “presenting the case both for or the case against, but not both together”(59).
When communicating visually, we need “to attend particularly to the situation of the audience” (59).
Theories of the Visual:Part IIOctober 13, 2011
