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Lelia Samson

Nanyang Technological University, WKWSCI, Post-Doc

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Lelia Samson (PhD., Indiana University) is a Radboud Excellence Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow. Taking a media psychology perspective, her research examines how the cognitive and affective mechanisms explain patterns of media effects. Using experimental, psychophysiological, and survey methods while also incorporating elements of content analysis, Samson’s work examines how elements of identity interact with motivationally-relevant cues during information processing. At Radboud University, Lelia examines the effects of motivationally-relevant cues in persuasive pro-nutritional messages targeting youth. This research shows that, when depicted through sensory and social cues, healthy foods become noticeable, likable, arousing and memorable stimuli and their consumption doubles.

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Papers by Lelia Samson

Response Latency

The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, 2017

This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response... more This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response latency in experimental studies advances our comprehension of the cognitive processes involved both during message processing and as part of contemplating messages during subsequent questioning; it enables researchers to understand how audience members process, store, focus on, access, and think about media messages. This entry presents a short introduction into the origins, categories, and basic characteristics of the response latency measure. It then discusses the theoretical foundations of the use of response latency in media psychology experiments, its procedural and methodological considerations, its feasibility, validity, reliability as well as other issues pertinent to the use of response time in communication research.

Craving healthy foods?! How sensory appeals increase appetitive motivational processing of healthy foods in adolescents

Media Psychology, 2019

The motivation activation measure and media use in Singapore: cross-cultural stability

Asian Journal of Communication, 2017

How well does MAM predict individual differences in physiological indicators of appetitive and av... more How well does MAM predict individual differences in physiological indicators of appetitive and aversive activation? Communication Methods and Measures, 1(2), 113-136] applies in a non-American (i.e. Asian) context, in order to provide evidence for the universality asserted through its theoretical underpinnings as an indicator of biologically based motivation systems. It thus investigates cross-cultural variation in the MAM scores and the associations with established measures of theoretically related personality factors. Second, the paper examines how individual differences in motivational system responsiveness correlate with media use and interests in an Asian culture. Eight hundred sixty-five respondents completed MAM, personality measures and self-reported media preference in an online survey. Findings indicate that the MAM values recorded in the Asian sample associate with the measures of theoretically related human traits as expected, and had a similar pattern of scores with those found in American samples. Moreover, results suggest that audience interests in different types of media can be predicted through their variation in motivation systems activation.

The Effectiveness of Using Sexual Appeals in Advertising

Journal of Media Psychology, 2016

. This study empirically investigates the effectiveness of using visual sexual appeals on the mem... more . This study empirically investigates the effectiveness of using visual sexual appeals on the memory of men and women. It examines memory for the commercials activated by sexual versus nonsexual visual appeals. A mixed-factorial experiment was conducted. Visual recognition and free recall were recorded in 146 participants (males = 71 and females = 75). The results substantiate the evolutionary psychology claims. Support for the motivational information-processing and the distraction hypothesis was found in male viewers. The results indicate that sexual appeals enhance memory for the advertisements themselves, but they distract men from processing brand-related information. Male participants encoded and recalled less brand-related information from advertisements with sexual appeals. The study offers guidelines for advertisers and marketing producers while also providing insight into gender/sex differences in processing sexual stimuli. It also makes a key theoretical contribution to the field by parsing out the influence of sexual versus nonsexual visual content from the confounding impact of visual sexual versus verbal nonsexual memory.

Empathizing and Systemizing (Un)justified Mediated Violence: Psychophysiological Indicators of Emotional Response

Media Psychology, 2015

This article examines individual variability in empathizing and systemizing abilities (Baron-Cohe... more This article examines individual variability in empathizing and systemizing abilities (Baron-Cohen, 2003, 2009) on emotional responses to mediated violence. It is predicted that these abilities influence feelings of distress and enjoyment while processing violent media and that they interact with the motives for aggressive behavior—whether the violence was justified or not. Psychophysiological measures of negative and positive valence activation and arousal were recorded for 90 participants while they were exposed to fourteen full-motion film clips that contained violence that was either justified or not by the narrative. Results show unjustified content led to greater physiological arousal and greater negative valence activation overall and to a significantly greater extent in highly empathetic viewers. Advantages of employing the empathizing—systemizing theory to mediated violence research are discussed.

Introducing a Software-Based Method to Assess and Manipulate Visual Attention: Feasibility and Initial Validation

Communication Methods and Measures, 2014

ABSTRACT This article introduces a new software-based method to assess and manipulate visual atte... more ABSTRACT This article introduces a new software-based method to assess and manipulate visual attention. The method uses circular, transparent outlines (or ‘bubbles’) that move over the content of visual stimuli. To evaluate the feasibility and validity of this new method, 50 men were presented with same- and opposite-sex erotic stimuli in self-directed and manipulated visual attention conditions while their psychophysiological responses were recorded. Participants were instructed to select a bubble of their choice by using a computer mouse which kept selected content visible while darkening the rest of the screen. Only one bubble was made available during conditions in which visual attention was manipulated. Findings revealed that participants could successfully perform the experimental task and that their spontaneous visual focus was consistent with their sexual orientation, as has been found in previous research. Furthermore, the new method successfully manipulated visual attention, which was reflected in participants’ psychophysiological response patterns. The benefits of this newly developed application include the ability to measure and direct visual focus in multiple participants at a time, its ease of use, as well as its provision of relatively noise-free data. The advantages of using this method in communication, experimental psychology and other social/behavioral science research are discussed.

The architecture of female competition: Derogation of a sexualized female news anchor

Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 2012

Abstract This paper succeeds recent experimental findings of gender variation in how news consume... more Abstract This paper succeeds recent experimental findings of gender variation in how news consumers process information delivered by a female news anchor. Specifically, men remembered news presented by the unsexualized version of the anchor better while women had higher memory scores for news presented by her sexualized rendition. Explanations for why men may have been distracted from processing news information delivered by a sexualized female news anchor were sufficiently explored and supported by data in this published research. Yet, more work is necessary to understand the hike in women's memory scores associated with sexualization of female anchors. Theoretical advances in the evolutionary psychology tradition offers a framework for testing female intrasexual competition as a potential explanation for women's heightened cognitive investment in what the sexualized anchor reported. In fact, derogation has been identified as a master tactic of female competitive behavior. Yet, encountering a potential r...

The (Non)Violent World of YouTube: Content Trends in Web Video

Journal of Communication, 2012

In this content analysis, we examined violence in Web-based entertainment. YouTube videos (N = 2,... more In this content analysis, we examined violence in Web-based entertainment. YouTube videos (N = 2,520) were collected in 3 different categories: most viewed, top rated, and random, with additional comparisons between amateur and professional content. Frequencies of violent acts and the context of violence (e.g., characteristics of perpetrator and victim, justification, consequences) were compared both between these categories of YouTube videos and with existing research on television violence. The results showed far less violence as a percentage of programming on YouTube than there is on television. Moreover, the violence that was present showed more realistic consequences and more negative context than television violence. Post hoc comparisons illustrated several differences in the presentation of violence between make and category of video.

Media Use and the Sexual Propensities of Emerging Adults

Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2012

Covering Presidential Election Campaigns: Does Reporter Gender Affect the Work Lives of Correspondents and Their Reportage?

Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2011

This study shows that men and women network news correspondents differed in how they covered four... more This study shows that men and women network news correspondents differed in how they covered four presidential elections (1992-2004). There were fewer women than men reporters involved in election coverage but on average women reported more stories than men and were tonally tougher watchdogs than men. In terms of framing candidates, male reporters were strongly associated with a masculine approach that emphasizes the competitiveness of campaigns. By contrast, women correspondents employed both more feminine and genderneutral frames than their male colleagues. These content analysis findings were interpreted against the backdrop of information derived from in-depth interviews with five women reporters who appeared in the sampled content.

Sexual and Affective Responses to Same- and Opposite-Sex Stimuli in Heterosexual and Homosexual Men: Assessment and Manipulation of Visual Attention

Sexual and affective responses to same and opposite-sex stimuli in heterosexual and homosexual me... more

The Sexual Propensities of Young Adults: Does Media Use Matter?

Sexual Arousal to Same- and Opposite-Sex Stimuli in Heterosexual and Homosexual Men: The Impact of Directing Attention to Sexual and Nonsexual Stimulus Content

Psychophysiology, 2011

Promoting healthy foods through hedonic and social appeals: Psychophysiological responses in adolescents

Psychophysiology, 2017

Heuristic-systematic processing and the third-person perception of sexual appeals in persuasive messages

Empathizing and Systemizing Media Violence: A Dual-Control Approach

How media appeals depicting social eating contexts increase the appetitive motivational processing of healthy foods

Appetite

Remember the motivationally-relevant appeals? The influence of social and sensory appeals on memory for pronutritional messages promoting healthy foods

International Journal of Advertising

Abstract Unhealthy foods advertisements often use motivationally-relevant appeals – i.e., stimuli... more Abstract Unhealthy foods advertisements often use motivationally-relevant appeals – i.e., stimuli with survival benefits, linked to hedonic consumption or social eating contexts. These stimuli automatically attract mental resources, resulting in memorable advertisements that can influence consumers’ choices and well-being. Aiming to prevent obesity and encourage healthy lifestyles, we examined the usability of these appeals to promote healthy foods to young consumers. A mixed factorial experiment recorded memory in preteen children and teenagers who watched various depictions of social eating contexts and texts emphasizing hedonic versus utilitarian benefits. The free recall and recognition tests revealed that young people had better memory for food advertisements featuring social eating contexts. Depictions of large groups were remarkably lasting, contributing to 80% of the health messages being recognized and recalled. As hypothesized, these appeals were more effective for teenagers than preteen children. Motivationally-relevant social appeals make pronutritional media more memorable, influencing healthy choices in the long run.

Empathizing and Systemizing Media Violence: A Dual-Control Approach

The Internet and Adolescent Sexual Identity more

This chapter considers the potential role of the Internet in the process of adolescent sexual ide... more This chapter considers the potential role of the Internet in the process of adolescent sexual identity construction. It starts by providing evidence of the ever-increasing role the Internet is playing in the lives of adolescents and by considering the potential impact such a technology is likely to have given the transitional nature of the adolescent brain. A consideration of theoretical approaches for understanding the role the Internet is likely to play in individuals' sexual self-identity development is then undertaken. A review of the specific role Internet communication technologies ...

Response Latency

The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, 2017

This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response... more This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response latency in experimental studies advances our comprehension of the cognitive processes involved both during message processing and as part of contemplating messages during subsequent questioning; it enables researchers to understand how audience members process, store, focus on, access, and think about media messages. This entry presents a short introduction into the origins, categories, and basic characteristics of the response latency measure. It then discusses the theoretical foundations of the use of response latency in media psychology experiments, its procedural and methodological considerations, its feasibility, validity, reliability as well as other issues pertinent to the use of response time in communication research.

Craving healthy foods?! How sensory appeals increase appetitive motivational processing of healthy foods in adolescents

Media Psychology, 2019

The motivation activation measure and media use in Singapore: cross-cultural stability

Asian Journal of Communication, 2017

How well does MAM predict individual differences in physiological indicators of appetitive and av... more How well does MAM predict individual differences in physiological indicators of appetitive and aversive activation? Communication Methods and Measures, 1(2), 113-136] applies in a non-American (i.e. Asian) context, in order to provide evidence for the universality asserted through its theoretical underpinnings as an indicator of biologically based motivation systems. It thus investigates cross-cultural variation in the MAM scores and the associations with established measures of theoretically related personality factors. Second, the paper examines how individual differences in motivational system responsiveness correlate with media use and interests in an Asian culture. Eight hundred sixty-five respondents completed MAM, personality measures and self-reported media preference in an online survey. Findings indicate that the MAM values recorded in the Asian sample associate with the measures of theoretically related human traits as expected, and had a similar pattern of scores with those found in American samples. Moreover, results suggest that audience interests in different types of media can be predicted through their variation in motivation systems activation.

The Effectiveness of Using Sexual Appeals in Advertising

Journal of Media Psychology, 2016

. This study empirically investigates the effectiveness of using visual sexual appeals on the mem... more . This study empirically investigates the effectiveness of using visual sexual appeals on the memory of men and women. It examines memory for the commercials activated by sexual versus nonsexual visual appeals. A mixed-factorial experiment was conducted. Visual recognition and free recall were recorded in 146 participants (males = 71 and females = 75). The results substantiate the evolutionary psychology claims. Support for the motivational information-processing and the distraction hypothesis was found in male viewers. The results indicate that sexual appeals enhance memory for the advertisements themselves, but they distract men from processing brand-related information. Male participants encoded and recalled less brand-related information from advertisements with sexual appeals. The study offers guidelines for advertisers and marketing producers while also providing insight into gender/sex differences in processing sexual stimuli. It also makes a key theoretical contribution to the field by parsing out the influence of sexual versus nonsexual visual content from the confounding impact of visual sexual versus verbal nonsexual memory.

Empathizing and Systemizing (Un)justified Mediated Violence: Psychophysiological Indicators of Emotional Response

Media Psychology, 2015

This article examines individual variability in empathizing and systemizing abilities (Baron-Cohe... more This article examines individual variability in empathizing and systemizing abilities (Baron-Cohen, 2003, 2009) on emotional responses to mediated violence. It is predicted that these abilities influence feelings of distress and enjoyment while processing violent media and that they interact with the motives for aggressive behavior—whether the violence was justified or not. Psychophysiological measures of negative and positive valence activation and arousal were recorded for 90 participants while they were exposed to fourteen full-motion film clips that contained violence that was either justified or not by the narrative. Results show unjustified content led to greater physiological arousal and greater negative valence activation overall and to a significantly greater extent in highly empathetic viewers. Advantages of employing the empathizing—systemizing theory to mediated violence research are discussed.

Introducing a Software-Based Method to Assess and Manipulate Visual Attention: Feasibility and Initial Validation

Communication Methods and Measures, 2014

ABSTRACT This article introduces a new software-based method to assess and manipulate visual atte... more ABSTRACT This article introduces a new software-based method to assess and manipulate visual attention. The method uses circular, transparent outlines (or ‘bubbles’) that move over the content of visual stimuli. To evaluate the feasibility and validity of this new method, 50 men were presented with same- and opposite-sex erotic stimuli in self-directed and manipulated visual attention conditions while their psychophysiological responses were recorded. Participants were instructed to select a bubble of their choice by using a computer mouse which kept selected content visible while darkening the rest of the screen. Only one bubble was made available during conditions in which visual attention was manipulated. Findings revealed that participants could successfully perform the experimental task and that their spontaneous visual focus was consistent with their sexual orientation, as has been found in previous research. Furthermore, the new method successfully manipulated visual attention, which was reflected in participants’ psychophysiological response patterns. The benefits of this newly developed application include the ability to measure and direct visual focus in multiple participants at a time, its ease of use, as well as its provision of relatively noise-free data. The advantages of using this method in communication, experimental psychology and other social/behavioral science research are discussed.

The architecture of female competition: Derogation of a sexualized female news anchor

Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 2012

Abstract This paper succeeds recent experimental findings of gender variation in how news consume... more Abstract This paper succeeds recent experimental findings of gender variation in how news consumers process information delivered by a female news anchor. Specifically, men remembered news presented by the unsexualized version of the anchor better while women had higher memory scores for news presented by her sexualized rendition. Explanations for why men may have been distracted from processing news information delivered by a sexualized female news anchor were sufficiently explored and supported by data in this published research. Yet, more work is necessary to understand the hike in women's memory scores associated with sexualization of female anchors. Theoretical advances in the evolutionary psychology tradition offers a framework for testing female intrasexual competition as a potential explanation for women's heightened cognitive investment in what the sexualized anchor reported. In fact, derogation has been identified as a master tactic of female competitive behavior. Yet, encountering a potential r...

The (Non)Violent World of YouTube: Content Trends in Web Video

Journal of Communication, 2012

In this content analysis, we examined violence in Web-based entertainment. YouTube videos (N = 2,... more In this content analysis, we examined violence in Web-based entertainment. YouTube videos (N = 2,520) were collected in 3 different categories: most viewed, top rated, and random, with additional comparisons between amateur and professional content. Frequencies of violent acts and the context of violence (e.g., characteristics of perpetrator and victim, justification, consequences) were compared both between these categories of YouTube videos and with existing research on television violence. The results showed far less violence as a percentage of programming on YouTube than there is on television. Moreover, the violence that was present showed more realistic consequences and more negative context than television violence. Post hoc comparisons illustrated several differences in the presentation of violence between make and category of video.

Media Use and the Sexual Propensities of Emerging Adults

Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2012

Covering Presidential Election Campaigns: Does Reporter Gender Affect the Work Lives of Correspondents and Their Reportage?

Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 2011

This study shows that men and women network news correspondents differed in how they covered four... more This study shows that men and women network news correspondents differed in how they covered four presidential elections (1992-2004). There were fewer women than men reporters involved in election coverage but on average women reported more stories than men and were tonally tougher watchdogs than men. In terms of framing candidates, male reporters were strongly associated with a masculine approach that emphasizes the competitiveness of campaigns. By contrast, women correspondents employed both more feminine and genderneutral frames than their male colleagues. These content analysis findings were interpreted against the backdrop of information derived from in-depth interviews with five women reporters who appeared in the sampled content.

Sexual and Affective Responses to Same- and Opposite-Sex Stimuli in Heterosexual and Homosexual Men: Assessment and Manipulation of Visual Attention

Sexual and affective responses to same and opposite-sex stimuli in heterosexual and homosexual me... more

The Sexual Propensities of Young Adults: Does Media Use Matter?

Sexual Arousal to Same- and Opposite-Sex Stimuli in Heterosexual and Homosexual Men: The Impact of Directing Attention to Sexual and Nonsexual Stimulus Content

Psychophysiology, 2011

Promoting healthy foods through hedonic and social appeals: Psychophysiological responses in adolescents

Psychophysiology, 2017

Heuristic-systematic processing and the third-person perception of sexual appeals in persuasive messages

Empathizing and Systemizing Media Violence: A Dual-Control Approach

How media appeals depicting social eating contexts increase the appetitive motivational processing of healthy foods

Appetite

Remember the motivationally-relevant appeals? The influence of social and sensory appeals on memory for pronutritional messages promoting healthy foods

International Journal of Advertising

Abstract Unhealthy foods advertisements often use motivationally-relevant appeals – i.e., stimuli... more Abstract Unhealthy foods advertisements often use motivationally-relevant appeals – i.e., stimuli with survival benefits, linked to hedonic consumption or social eating contexts. These stimuli automatically attract mental resources, resulting in memorable advertisements that can influence consumers’ choices and well-being. Aiming to prevent obesity and encourage healthy lifestyles, we examined the usability of these appeals to promote healthy foods to young consumers. A mixed factorial experiment recorded memory in preteen children and teenagers who watched various depictions of social eating contexts and texts emphasizing hedonic versus utilitarian benefits. The free recall and recognition tests revealed that young people had better memory for food advertisements featuring social eating contexts. Depictions of large groups were remarkably lasting, contributing to 80% of the health messages being recognized and recalled. As hypothesized, these appeals were more effective for teenagers than preteen children. Motivationally-relevant social appeals make pronutritional media more memorable, influencing healthy choices in the long run.

Empathizing and Systemizing Media Violence: A Dual-Control Approach

The Internet and Adolescent Sexual Identity more

This chapter considers the potential role of the Internet in the process of adolescent sexual ide... more This chapter considers the potential role of the Internet in the process of adolescent sexual identity construction. It starts by providing evidence of the ever-increasing role the Internet is playing in the lives of adolescents and by considering the potential impact such a technology is likely to have given the transitional nature of the adolescent brain. A consideration of theoretical approaches for understanding the role the Internet is likely to play in individuals' sexual self-identity development is then undertaken. A review of the specific role Internet communication technologies ...

Response Latency

The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, 2017

This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response... more This entry introduces response latency as a communication science research method. Using response latency in experimental studies advances our comprehension of the cognitive processes involved both during message processing and as part of contemplating messages during subsequent questioning; it enables researchers to understand how audience members process, store, focus on, access, and think about media messages. This entry presents a short introduction into the origins, categories, and basic characteristics of the response latency measure. It then discusses the theoretical foundations of the use of response latency in media psychology experiments, its procedural and methodological considerations, its feasibility, validity, reliability as well as other issues pertinent to the use of response time in communication research.