Multimodal emotional arousal in city image promotional videos

A comparative analysis using self-report and electrodermal activity

Bibliographic Data

ID21283891
AuthorsJian Wang (0000-0001-6128-1254), Yi-Xiang Wang (0000-0001-5697-0717, Nanjing University of the Arts, corresponding author), Guiying Dong (China Design Group (China))
Year2026
Volume268
Pages107261
Publication date2026-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa Psychologica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107261
PMID42296739
OpenAlexW7164811750
LanguageEN
References cited36

This study examines emotional arousal evoked by city image promotional videos by combining self-reported arousal with electrodermal activity (EDA). Using four Hangzhou city image promotional videos representing theme-oriented, non-theme-oriented, panoramic comprehensive, and narrative types, the study evaluates whether subjective and autonomic indicators provide convergent or complementary information in an applied city branding context. The results show that self-reported arousal and EDA-based autonomic arousal did not exhibit stable statistically significant coupling after multiplicity correction. At the factor level, EDA-based arousal was primarily sensitive to theme orientation, whereas self-reported arousal was sensitive to the panoramic narrative dimension and its interaction with theme orientation. Rather than offering a general theory of emotional processing, the findings indicate that in city promotional video evaluation, self-report and EDA capture partly different aspects of audience response and should be interpreted as complementary measurement channels. These results contribute to tourism marketing and city image communication by demonstrating how multimodal emotion measurement can support more nuanced evaluation of promotional video types

Arousal · Image (mathematics) · Low arousal theory · Mental image · Emotion and Mood Recognition · Media Influence and Health · Multisensory perception and integration

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Open DOIOpen Access