Comparing the Emotional Impact of Thematic Versus Episodic Framing in Visualization Text
Authors
Poorna Talkad Sukumar (Munster Technological University), Maurizio Porfiri (New York University), Oded Nov (New York University)
Presentation
- Session
- Data, Meet Human: Vis That Cares
- Time
- Wednesday, Nov 11, 10:27 – 10:36 (US/Eastern) · session 10:00 – 11:30
- Location
- Hall America north
Links
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Keywords
Visualization; Journalism; Mass Shootings; Textual Framing; Emotion; Episodic Framing; Thematic Framing
Abstract
Although textual framing in data visualizations is known to influence comprehension, recall, and perceptions of bias, its effects on viewers' emotional responses remain underexplored. Drawing on two widely studied framing strategies in political communication, we examine how episodic framing (foregrounding a specific event) versus thematic framing (foregrounding broader trends) affects emotional and attitudinal responses to visualizations. We conducted a preregistered, between-subjects online experiment (N = 800) in which participants viewed identical visualizations of U.S. mass shooting data that varied only in textual framing: a thematic title, a thematic title with annotation, or an episodic title paired with the same annotation. Results show that episodic framing elicited significantly more negative emotional valence than both thematic conditions. In contrast, adding an annotation to a thematic title did not alter emotional impact. While framing did not significantly affect policy attitudes, mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect: increased negative emotion under episodic framing predicted greater support for gun control. These findings position emotion as a critical, yet underexamined, dimension of how textual framing shapes responses to data visualizations.
For Practitioners
This paper will be of interest to data journalists and visualization practitioners who use data visualizations to communicate about complex or socially sensitive issues. Our findings suggest that seemingly subtle choices in textual framing—particularly whether titles emphasize a specific event or a broader trend—can influence viewers' emotional responses and perceptions of editorial stance, even when the underlying visualization remains unchanged. Practitioners can use these insights to make more informed decisions about titles and annotations, balancing goals such as emotional engagement, perceived neutrality, and effective communication.