Effects and perception of multimodal recontextualization in political Internet memes. Evidence from two online experiments in Austria

Abstract

Internet memes are an integral part of social media communication and a popular genre for humorous engagement in online political discourses. A meme is a collective of multimodal signs that refer to each other through shared formal, content-related, and/or stance-related characteristics and can be recontextualized on different levels: (1) language, (2) mode of presentation, and (3) humor. In this paper, we examine the perceptions and effects of recontextualization in image macros—the most prominent meme subgenre. Two between-subjects online experiments from Austria offer a holistic approach to meaning-making through multimodal recontextualization in political image macros. The first experiment explored the perception of language variety and its effects on users' intentions to forward a humorous image macro. The second experiment further investigated the effects of a political message's language variety, mode of presentation, and humor on users' perceptions and behavioral intentions. The experiments' results indicate that perceptions and behavioral intentions are mainly affected by a political message's presentation as an image macro, while the recontextualization of language variety and humor plays a minor role. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on Internet memes as multimodal and recontextualizable political messages from the receivers' point of view.

Breaking Barriers With Memes: How Memes Bridge Political Cynicism to Online Political Participation

“…Political memes reportedly increase the sense of political efficacy and interest in political topics (Pearce & Hajizada, 2014). However, most prior studies are qualitative (Chen, 2016;Lambrecht, 2023;Sreekumar & Vadrevu, 2013) and meme-content analysis (Bülow & Johann, 2023;Moody-Ramirez & Church, 2019) with limited empirical attempt to draw attention to the relationship between the political meme exposure on social media and online political participation. Scholars emphasize that political communication on social media, especially through memes, profoundly influences democratic participation (Ross & Rivers, 2017;Shifman, 2014).…”

“…Among these, political memes have emerged as a potent tool, resonating with users due to their blend of humor, relatability, and succinct political commentary. Their participatory and persuasive nature offers innovative avenues for idea-sharing, community-building, and cultural engagement (Bülow & Johann, 2023; Shifman, 2014). The allure of memes, particularly in politics, possibly lies in their humor and sarcasm (McClure, 2016).…”