The Representation of Help Givers in First Aid Instruction Materials: A Multimodal Reception Study

Area of Science:

• Visual Communication
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Instructional Design

Background:

• Effective first aid instruction relies on clear visual communication.
• Previous research has not comprehensively analyzed how specific visual elements in first aid imagery influence audience perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between various visual design choices in first aid imagery and viewer perception of help givers.
• To identify specific visual attributes that enhance the positive perception of individuals depicted in first aid instructional materials.

Main Methods:

• A reception study was conducted analyzing 40 images from a first aid corpus.
• Image variations included type, perspective, camera angle, shot size, color, facial expression visibility, and gender.
• 107 participants evaluated images using trait adjectives on a 6-point scale.

Main Results:

• Drawings scored slightly higher than photographs; color images were preferred over grayscale.
• Bird's-eye perspectives, front-facing camera angles, and full-body shots positively influenced perception.
• Images with obscured facial expressions and those depicting female help givers received higher positive ratings.

Conclusions:

• Visual design elements in first aid materials directly correlate with the perceived characteristics of help givers.
• Optimizing image selection based on these findings can improve the effectiveness and reception of first aid instruction.
• Designers should consider perspective, color, and gender representation to enhance positive viewer engagement.