Studies in the efficacy of motion graphics: the relation between expository motion graphics and the presence of naïve realism

Expository motion graphics are dynamic visual communication devices capable of both informing and entertaining because they provide visual explanations and present narratives to an audience. This article had the goal of exploring how viewers interact with motion graphics that offer exposition and two theories were utilized to frame this inquiry: the theory of naïve realism and cognitive load theory. Each theory describes complementary aspects of the motion graphic viewing experience and a 2 x 2 experiment conducted by the author indicated that visual clutter is detrimental to the viewing experience associated with motion graphics and a viewer’s predilections about motion graphics can be altered after exposure to multiple motion graphics that vary in fidelity or representativeness. These findings have implications for journalistic applications of expository motion graphics within the contexts of online news packages and broadcast news.