Vol 14, No 2 (2022)
All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Vol 14, No 2 (2022)
Table of Contents
Articles
https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.14.2.01
Yalım ÖZDİNÇ
Abstract: Information on the back of packaged consumer goods, such as the ingredients list, is increasingly becoming a purchase-decision influencer in informed consumer markets. However, processing such content is mainly challenging due to metacognitive impairment caused by technical terminology use (e.g., Ascorbic Acid instead of Vitamin C), which affects the purchase decision-making process. Therefore, this study examines whether metaphorical-cue use (e.g., “dispatches an elite nano-coating force with heavy defensive armament” for a sunscreen—metaphor italicised) influences consumer product evaluations and purchase intentions by increasing their confidence in processing the ingredients information. Two experiments, using a 2 (metaphorical cue: yes, no) × 3 (packaged consumer good: food, drink, drug) between-subjects factorial design, recruited samples comprising student surrogates (N experiment 1 = 1326) and supermarket shoppers (N experiment 2 = 956). Ingredients panels containing metaphorical messages elevated consumers’ confidence in processing the ingredients information even when it was only partially understood. Such confidence yielded more favourable product evaluations and higher purchase intentions. These results show that supplementing the ingredients panel with metaphorical cues could turn this less-understood section into a seller by resolving consumers’ metacognitive impairment.
https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.14.2.02
Fabia-Roberta BERA, Maria-Mălina BERAR, Oana-Mihaela GRIVASĂ, Ioana IANCU
Abstract: Health concerns are the main reason for healthy product purchasing. Likewise, the packaging plays an important role in the decision-making process. The present paper investigates the health halo effect and the Mandela effect produced by the nutrient content claims on the packaging of food products (chocolate). The main objectives are: to determine if the respondents remember ingredients and claims that are not actually listed on the packaging, to investigate if the existence of nutrient content claims on the packaging determines a more positive perception on the healthfulness of the product and a higher purchase intention, and to explore if risk-avoidance claims (Low sugar and Cholesterol free), in comparison with benefit related claims (Vitamin A and High in fibers) are more likely to determine a more positive healthfulness perception of the product and a higher purchase intention. A 1x3 survey-based experiment has been conducted on 160 young adults in Romania. The results show that, regardless of the situation, subjects tend to remember a high number of ingredients and claims that are not actually written on the packaging. The nutrient claims, in comparison with the lack of them, play an important role in shaping a positive healthfulness perception and a higher purchase intention. Finally, the risk-avoidance claims seem to have a more positive effect.
https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.14.2.03
Aušra POKVIETYTĖ
Abstract. In natural communication speakers and hearers unconsciously follow some rules that are scientifically investigated by linguistic pragmatics. Even though dialogues in films are created, they mirror natural conversations. Consequently, research methods of linguistic pragmatics are equally beneficial for the investigation of audiovisual texts. Combining theoretical approaches of politeness, implicatures, discourse analysis and multimodality, the study seeks to disclose the process of establishing an authority in a doctor-patient relationship. As a research material, an episode from an American TV Series In Treatment created by Rodrigo Garcia was selected. Both verbal and non-verbal channels were essential for the dynamics in switching between negative and positive politeness. Non-verbal information was also vital for implicatures, when the participants were trying to identify who is in charge and establish the authority relationship.
Mapping Twenty Years of Digital Empowerment in Romania: Limits and Challenges (PDF)
https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.14.2.04
Natalia VASILENDIUC, Alexandra BARDAN
Abstract. The quick process of digitalization has proven to be a significant component in the structural transformation of the local public space during the last two decades, notably after Romania’s accession to the European Union. This has been the case notably since the advent of social media applications. Significant societal shifts have occurred because of recent developments in Internet access and mobile broadband usage, as well as in the technological architecture of communication networks. These advancements, along with a paradigm change in communication that alters the conventional notion of political and media communication, have also contributed to these societal shifts. The democratization of access to information as well as the means of information production has been accompanied by changes in the function of civic associations as well as the emergence of new kinds of digital activism, opening new opportunities for democratic engagement. Moreover, the elimination of exclusionary effects produced by the digital divide, and the promotion of digital literacy as a method of resolving major concerns linked to the social and political functions of digital communication and as a means of encouraging the development of growth-enhancing elements in the networked information economy are the main sources of challenges that Romania is currently facing. Our study provides a map of the difficulties associated with adjusting to global trends and the impact of social media on Romanian politics and society in general, as identified by the studies that were selected; however, it does not critically consider the empirical approach and results that were obtained by those studies.
https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.14.2.05
Veronica CÂMPIAN, Denisa LĂCĂTUŞ
Abstract. The last years can be characterized as a period of crisis and changes all around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present work analyses the impact of the pandemic on the forms of communication in the Romanian school education system, in the transition from onsite classes to online classes in German schools. It is further investigated which differences can be found in online compared to face-to-face teaching, which strategies were used to replace the missing communication aspects and whether online learning has a negative impact on communication between teachers and learners. The research relies on 16 semi-structured interviews carried out with teachers from Romanian schools where German is taught as a mother tongue. The interviews show that direct eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and non-verbal communication in general are all inhibited by conversation through a screen. Thus, it implies a less intimate, direct connection, and the potential for difficult interpersonal connections, which causes the students’ interest and attention to decline. For the new medium, it was also vital to re-evaluate the conventional pedagogical approaches. Fortunately, technology has made great strides and offers a variety of options, although communication has suffered greatly.
https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.14.2.06
Maria MUSTĂȚEA, Dragoș GOCIMAN
Abstract. The chromatic selection represents an essential phase in the conception of a print advertisement. It is critical in encountering a consumer, considering the universal nature of color under various forms of visual communication. Despite the consistent literature from multiple fields regarding color, the research that tackles this variable in advertising contexts is limited. In this respect, the current investigation explores the effect of all three-color dimensions in an ad (hue, value, and chroma) on emotions and attitude toward the ad. This endeavor materializes in three experiments, and the emotional response is analyzed using the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) Model of Albert Mehrabian. At the same time, the chromatic variations are selected and controlled through the Munsell Color System. The research results reveal that from the three-color dimensions, only the value significantly impacts emotions and the attitude toward the ad..