Exploring Subjective Realism: Do evaluative realism and felt realism respond differently to different cues?

Abstract

Media research has conceptualised realism of media and technology in many different ways e.g., visual fidelity, presence, narrative consistency. We build on a dual process model of subjective realism, categorising evaluative realism (comparison of stimulus to real life) and felt realism (illusion of felt non-mediation). This study explored subjective realism using a 2 × 2 design (N = 103) with two between-groups variables [perceptual cue (presence of interactive eye-gaze from virtual character) and conceptual cue (presence of narrative frame)]. Findings indicated how perceptual and conceptual cues interact; users reported that eye-gaze was evaluatively unrealistic, but eye-gaze accompanied by narrative framing resulted in higher self-reported felt realism. Perceptual cues alone may not increase felt realism without sufficient narrative explanation to contextualise the experience. Findings are integrated with theory and implications for a model of subjective realism are discussed.