Ayele, Samrawit Tariku (2025) The Role of Processing Fluency and Ambiguity in Cognitive, Affective, and Aesthetic Responses to Internet Memes and Mooney Images. Advisor: Cecchetti, Prof. Luca. Coadvisor: Reber, Prof. Rolf . pp. 158. [IMT PhD Thesis]
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Abstract
The digital era has transformed communication and expression, with internet memes emerging as a dominant form of digital communication. Despite their widespread use, the cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying meme appreciation remain largely unexplored. This dissertation investigates how processing fluency, humor, and aesthetic emotions shape meme engagement, drawing from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and social psychology. The study consists of three empirical investigations. The first study employs an exploratory approach to identify key predictors of meme appreciation. Factor analysis of user ratings reveals five dimensions: humor, fluency, disfluency, positive emotions, and negative emotions. Humor emerges as the strongest predictor of meme appreciation, followed by fluency and a strategic balance of disfluency. Positive aesthetic emotions, such as amusement and nostalgia, enhance meme appeal, while frustration and confusion reduce it. The second study employs psychophysiological methods, including facial electromyography (EMG) and electrodermal activity (EDA), to examine how fluent and disfluent memes modulate emotional and arousal responses. While no significant differences in smiling (zygomatic) and frowning (corrugator) muscle activity are found, peak analyses suggest that fluent stimuli evoke faster emotional responses. Disfluent stimuli trigger higher skin conductance responses, indicating increased cognitive effort and arousal. The third study utilizes eye-tracking technology to analyze visual attention patterns in meme perception. Findings reveal that disfluent memes elicit shorter fixations with increased saccades, suggesting an exploratory attention mode, whereas fluent memes have longer fixations with fewer saccades, indicative of an exploitative processing style. Mooney images are used in Study 2 and Study 3 to compare meme perception with other ambiguous stimuli, highlighting how fluency and ambiguity interact in digital media. This dissertation advances theoretical and practical understanding of digital aesthetics, demonstrating that meme appreciation is shaped by both cognitive ease and controlled elaboration.
| Item Type: | IMT PhD Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RC Internal medicine |
| PhD Course: | Cognitive, Computational and Social Neurosciences |
| Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.13118/imtlucca/e-theses/453 |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Jul 2025 07:56 |
| URI: | http://e-theses.imtlucca.it/id/eprint/453 |
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