The influence of camera angle on comprehension and retention of pictorial events

Kraft, Robert N.

doi:10.3758/bf03197032

Cited by 83 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Moore et al (1979) proposed that low ceilings may encourage quieter, more restricted play, while higher ceilings (e.g., above 8 feet) foster more active (i.e., freer) play. Echoing similar sentiments, Kraft (1987) posited that high, downward-looking camera angles, which tend to compress height, convey the notion of passivity; however, low, upward-looking angles, which accentuate height, connote action and thus freedom of movement. Thus, taken together, such research leads to the contention that relatively high versus low ceilings are likely to prime the concepts of freedom versus confinement, respectively.…”

Section: Ceiling Height and Type Of Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use

2007

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This article demonstrates that variations in ceiling height can prime concepts that, in turn, affect how consumers process information. We theorized that when reasonably salient, a high versus low ceiling can prime the concepts of freedom versus confinement, respectively. These concepts, in turn, can prompt consumers' use of predominately relational versus item-specific processing. Three studies found support for this theorizing. On a variety of measures, ceiling height-induced relational or item-specific processing was indicated by people's reliance on integrated and abstract versus discrete and concrete ideation. Hence, this research sheds light on when and how ceiling height can affect consumers' responses.T here appears to be widespread belief that ceiling height can affect the quality of indoor consumption experiences. Fischl and Gärling (2004) found that ceiling height ranked among the top three architectural details that influenced consumers' psychological well-being. Much anecdotal evidence also supports this view. A home development company that uses design ideas inspired by the guru of transcendental meditation maintains that homes with higher ceilings induce clearer and improved thinking, more energy, and better health among residents (Bivins 1997). Airplane manufacturers seem to concur that higher ceilings can enhance consumers' consumption experience, even if the increased height is only illusory. Such manufacturers use numerous techniques to engender the illusion of increased vertical space or volume in plane interiors, including repositioning overhead baggage bins, installing gently arched illuminated ceiling panels, and affixing wavy mirrors on the bulkheads beneath overhead storage bins (Lunsford and Michaels 2002).Despite such anecdotal evidence that ceiling height exerts *Joan Meyers-Levy is professor of marketing at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 ( jmeyerslevy@csom.umn.edu). Rui (Juliet) Zhu is assistant professor of marketing at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6G 3J3 ( juliet.zhu@sauder.ubc.ca). Both authors contributed equally to this work. Financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is gratefully acknowledged. Corresponding author: jmeyerslevy@csom.umn.edu. John Deighton served as editor and Gavan Fitzsimons served as associate editor for this article. Electronically published June 1, 2007a critical influence on consumers, we were unable to uncover any theory or research that explains how, when, and why ceiling height might exert an effect. This article seeks to address this issue by investigating the thesis that ceiling height may affect the very manner in which consumers process information and thus how they respond to products. To illustrate, suppose that you were shopping for a sleek new coffee-table and paused to evaluate how sleek one of the contenders truly appeared to be. We propose that different types of concepts might be activated or pr...

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Section: Ceiling Height and Type Of Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use

2007

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“…Visual portrayal may matter most for products that reveal different features when viewed from different angles (cf. Kraft, 1987), features that may underlie the activation of different trait concepts, which in turn may differentially affect impressions. Multiple lines of research suggest that the automobile is one such product.…”

Section: Visual Portrayal and Product Impressionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Right Angle: Visual Portrayal of Products Affects Observers’ Impressions of Owners

Schuldt

Konrath

Schwarz

2012

Psychology and Marketing

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Consumer products have long been known to influence observers’ impressions of product owners. The angle at which products are visually portrayed in advertisements, however, may be an overlooked factor in these effects. We hypothesize and find that portrayals of the same product from different viewpoints can prime different associations that color impressions of product and owner in parallel ways. In Study 1, automobiles were rated higher on status‐ and power‐related traits (e.g., dominant, powerful) when portrayed head‐on versus in side profile, an effect found for sport utility vehicles (SUVs)—a category with a reputation for dominance—but not sedans. In Study 2, these portrayal‐based associations influenced the impressions formed about the product's owner: a target person was rated higher on status‐ and power‐related traits when his SUV was portrayed head‐on versus in side profile. These results suggest that the influence of visual portrayal extends beyond general evaluations of products to affect more specific impressions of products and owners alike, and highlight that primed traits are likely to influence impressions when compatible with other knowledge about the target.

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“…Camera angle did not significantly affect viewers' judgments of products when they were highly motivated to process the depicted material in detail. The authors suggested a heuristic processing explanation, formerly stated by Kraft (1987): Camera angle effects on judgments might be due to the use of simple decision rules or heuristics (i.e., objects that we visually look up to are more positive); when people are highly motivated, they form judgments by carefully weighting the perceived true merits of what they have been presented.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In three experiments, Kraft (1987) examined the extent to which manipulations of vertical camera angle can affect viewers' evaluations of characters in a story, viewers' recall of the characters and of the story as a whole, and viewers' recognition memory. Six four-pictures stories depicted each time two characters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In films or photographs, the picture maker controls the manner in which the information is presented and thus influences the viewer's understanding and interpretation of the depicted person. By manipulating the overall compositional arrangement, the lighting, the perspective, and the camera angle, the picture maker sets a particular frame of reference for the spectator (Kraft, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does it Matter to be Pictured from Below?

Sevenants¹,

d’Ydewalle

2006

PSYCHOL BELG

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Does the way in which a scene is viewed influence the interpretation of the role of the characters that appear in it, and does narrative context influence sensitivity to camera angle? In the linear conditions of the present study, each of 3 stories consisted of a sequence of 5 pictures. Pictures 2 and 3 introduced the 2 characters with either a high-angle, an eye-level, or a low-angle shot. In the random conditions, the 5 pictures were rearranged into a random order. Immediately after viewing each story, the 2 characters were rated on the 3 factors of Osgood's semantic differential (Evaluation, Potency, & Activation). Thereafter, an acceptable end to each of the 3 stories was to be chosen on a multiple-choice questionnaire. The results show a significant effect of the camera angle on the factor "Potency" under the linear condition: A low-angle shot elicited more potency. In addition, for one of the 3 stories in which the 2 characters were engaged in a common activity (chess playing), there was a significant difference on the choice of the probable ends as a function of camera position: The character, presented with a low-angle shot, was perceived as the winning player.

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The influence of camera angle on comprehension and retention of pictorial events

Cited by 83 publications

References 26 publications

The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use

The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing That People Use

The Right Angle: Visual Portrayal of Products Affects Observers’ Impressions of Owners

Does it Matter to be Pictured from Below?

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