Visual realism and character identification in science comics
An empirical study testing McCloud’s ‘masking effect’ theory
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12700237 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shiyu Yang (0000-0002-6222-0389, University of Tennessee at Knoxville), Leonardo Barolo Gargiulo (0000-0001-6084-6372, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Nan Li (0009-0000-4562-451X, University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author), Dominique Brossard (0000-0002-9188-8388, University of Wisconsin–Madison) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Publication date | 2024-10-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Visual Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1470-3572 • E-ISSN: 1741-3214 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14703572241258896 |
| OpenAlex | W4403107858 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 49 |
Comics have increasingly served as a tool for delivering scientific information to diverse audiences. However, little is known about how visual elements in comics influence their persuasive potential. Inspired by McCloud (1993)’s ‘masking effect’ theory featured in Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, this study examined how different degrees of realism in comic characters, combined with background details, affected readers’ character identification. The findings suggested that exposure to comics featuring unrealistic, cartoonish characters minimized the gap in character identification between Black and white US participants. Contrary to McCloud’s hypotheses, exposure to comics with less detailed backgrounds resulted in higher character identification across conditions, regardless of character realism. The authors discuss the implications for future research and practice of using comics for public communication of science
Art · Character (mathematics · Comics · Empirical research · Epistemology · Identification (biology · Literature · Masking (illustration · Realism · Sociology · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Digital Storytelling and Education · Mathematics · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Philosophy · Psychology
Actual Minds, Possible Worlds
Identification as a Mechanism of Narrative Persuasion
Arguments concerning representations for mental imagery.
Characteristics of narrative interventions and health effects
Graphic medicine
Towards a More Inclusive and Dynamic Understanding of Medical Mistrust Informed by Science
Trustworthiness before Trust — Covid-19 Vaccine Trials and the Black Community
Beyond Tuskegee — Vaccine Distrust and Everyday Racism
Vaccine hesitancy
On the definition of “Picture”
Meetings of minds
What Race Do They Represent and Does Mine Have Anything to Do with It? Perceived Racial Categories of Anime Characters
Book‐Worms Without Books? Students Reading Comic Books in the School House
Making Comics
Beyond Personal Experiences
A taxonomy of the emotions of literary response and a theory of identification in fictional narrative
Facial Similarity between Voters and Candidates Causes Influence
The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives
Defining Identification
The Intensity of Ethnic Affiliation
Story Perspective and Character Similarity as Drivers of Identification and Narrative Persuasion
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |