Title: Cultural proximity and interactivity in the processes of narrative reception

Authors: María T. Soto-Sanfiel; Juan-José Igartua

Addresses: Departament de Comunicació Audiovisual i Publicitat, Facultat de Ciències de la Comunicació, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus UAB, Edif. I, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain ' Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Salamanca, Communication Campus Unamuno, Edificio FES, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

Abstract: This study aims to further our understanding of the reception processes associated with the consumption of new interactive audiovisual products by individuals from different cultures. Through a quasi-experimental research, it analysed reception of a film produced in Germany, in two different European socio-cultural contexts (Spain and The Netherlands). A 2 × 2 factorial design was used, the independent variables being cultural proximity (high, low) and the modality in which the movie was viewed (interactive, non-interactive). Cultural proximity influenced the processes of evaluating the movie, but viewing modality showed no significant differences. Identification with the protagonists of the movie was associated in both cultural contexts with enjoyment, self-perceived physical sensations and emotional induction. These results are relevant for explaining how receivers from different cultures react to audiovisual productions of different origin and to new forms of consumption.

Keywords: cross-cultural reception; interactivity; psychological processes; narratives; identification; cultural influence; cultural proximity; interactive products; audiovisual productions; films; Germany; Spain; The Netherlands; factorial design; viewing modality; movies; enjoyment; self-perception; physical sensations; emotional induction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2016.077234

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2016 Vol.9 No.2, pp.87 - 107

Received: 07 Oct 2013
Accepted: 18 Sep 2014

Published online: 25 Jun 2016 *

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