People use a variety of different communication techniques to share information. However, the type of informational exchange determines how well the source externalizes the data or ideas and how effectively the recipient understands it. Visual communication, as highlighted by relevant research, is a valuable tool that applies to various disciplines. Using visual elements appears to affect the receiver of the information both directly and indirectly. One of the benefits of applying this particular communication practice is that it exacerbates subjective and objective thinking, which is why it is widely applied in the field of psychology, sociology, neuroscience, and behavioral medicine. As an outcome, implementing visual communication can be an effective way of presenting an idea while allowing the audience to determine its purpose using personal overviews and experiences. Research illustrates the productivity of applying imagery and visual stimulation to cause interest in a topic, proficiently spread information in interpersonal communication, and influence one’s physical behavior.
Visual Communication and Psychology
The effectiveness of visual communication is highlighted by the use of the conscious and subconscious mind to identify the information and determine its meaning in relation to one’s own self. Thus, a person’s personal experience and overview shape how they perceive what is received from the outside world. Communication is closely related to phycology since interactions are known to have the ability to form connections, alter how one perceives another person, or lead to negative overviews. However, from an objective standpoint, visual communication in itself is an excellent way to add a level of personal involvement in a conversation. Due to the fact that such a method of sharing information is based on visual cues, each member of an audience is able to apply subjective overviews when interpreting the data. Researchers refer to Gestalt psychology as the branch based on the idea that a form is not interpreted based on its constructive characteristics but is rather shaped depending on who perceives it (Zhao and Pan 3). Thus, from a psychological perspective, applying visual representations as a way of communicating information allows individuals to add subjectivity to constructive data and become more emotionally involved in the interaction. This creates more interest in the subject perpetuated by the sender due to the form in which the message is shared.
Visual Communication and Sociology
While psychology applies the idea that a person interprets data based on subjective experience, sociology adds the importance of considering one’s societal belonging in perceiving data and interacting with others. Thus, aspects of culture, including gender, race, background, nationality, income, sexuality, and religion, shape a person’s behavior since certain experiences are shared within a particular community. Visual communication does have an appliance in sociology due to the fact that data can be shared differently based on the group of people receiving it. Kautt (353) uses the watch analogy to explain the framework. Based on the design of a watch, one can determine the sociological implications of the community to which the design applies. The watch can look masculine or feminine, which refers to one’s gender, casual or fashionable, which determines the circumstances in which one can wear it, and youthful or mature, which highlight’s one’s age. Thus, while visual representations are subjective, they can apply to a group and communicate an idea that a particular community shares and understands. From this regard, sociologic connotations may be attributed to imagery when sharing data or referring to the message that the sender shares with the receiver.
Visual Communication and Neuroscience
As exemplified by research, visual communication has scientific connotations related to the discipline of neuroscience. Thus, visual cues are not only subjectively perceived but also exemplify themselves through reactions in the nervous system. An image can stimulate receptors and lead to negative, positive, or neutral reactions. As with any form of communication, the recipient of the information may have disruptive or advantageous responses. Research attributes it to the brain areas, including the frontal cortex, that cause the neurons to receive information through the eyes and transmit it to the nervous system (Pearson 624). Thus, visual imagery produces a response as a result of the brain interpreting it in one way or the other. In terms of communication, exacerbating this process is also linked to the correlation between the information that is being shared and the subjective overview caused by a particular physical process in one’s mind. Based on how this message is neurologically interpreted, the reaction differs. As a result, the recipient may be open to learning the information, interested in the message, or negative towards the premise.
Behavioral Medicine
Behavioral medicine, as a discipline, studies the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of certain psychological behaviors. As with any field in psychology, communication is a widely discussed topic since it allows the recipient of the information to receive specific instructions and data in regards to managing a condition., However, only effective communication can lead to positive results in regards to following the recommendations and understanding the disease itself and how it manifests. An example of visual communication in this particular field is images on cigarette packets that are mandatory to show in multiple countries worldwide. Smokers see a particular result of their unhealthy behavior through imagery, which can deter them from engaging in the habit of smoking. Researchers point out that visually stimulating healthy behavior has a scientific background and has been proven to be effective in addressing multiple conditions that result from smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating, and others (Hollands et al.). Thus, visual communication is a way of showing consequences directly and, perhaps, making a link between current events and the future they correlate with before the physical consequence manifests itself. In this case, the technique is effective and leads to positive results, as highlighted by researchers. In terms of behavioral medicine, visual cues highlight that interpersonal communication is not only a way for people to send messages but also alter physical processes based on responses.
Conclusion
Visual communication is an effective way of sharing information. The recipient is able to apply both constructive and subjective knowledge to interpret it, which leads to more active involvement in the subject. Visual imagery has psychological, sociological, neuroscientific, and behavioral connotations due to the complex response that the individual has when interpreting an image. First, each individual is different in terms of experience, which is why every person receives visual information differently. However, based on the sociologic group someone belongs to, shared experiences cause multiple people to interpret data similarly. Moreover, the scientific connotations reveal the reaction of the brain to visual stimulation, which can either be positive or negative. Last but not least, visual communication has been proven to be influential in shaping behavior since, based on research in behavioral medicine, unhealthy behavior can be mitigated through imagery. Thus, as exemplified by research, visual communication is prolific in terms of information sharing.
Works Cited
Hollands, Gareth J, et al. “Presentation of Aversive Visual Images in Health Communication for Changing Health Behaviour.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019, Web.
Kautt, York. “Practice and Structure as Concepts of a Sociology of Visual Communication: Toward a Methodology of Visual and Structural Analysis.” Qualitative Inquiry, vol. 25, no. 4, 2018, pp. 350–362., Web.
Pearson, Joel. “The Human Imagination: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Visual Mental Imagery.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 20, no. 10, 2019, pp. 624–634., Web.
Zhao, Dandan, and Bo Pan. “Psychological Cognition and Thinking Needs in Visual Communication Design.” E3S Web of Conferences, vol. 236, 2021, pp. 1-4., Web.