The effect of subtitles on listeners’ perceptions of expressivity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine what effect, if any, subtitles would have on listeners’ perceptions of expressivity in an operatic performance. Specifically, this study addressed the following research questions: (1) will there be differences in perceived expressivity among three listening conditions (audio only, audio + video, audio + video with subtitles)? (2) Will the listening condition have an effect on listeners’ magnitude of response? (3) Will listening condition have an effect on listeners’ stated focus of attention during the listening task? (4) Where during the stimulus will listeners perceive moments of expressivity? A 13-minute excerpt from a live production of Puccini’s La Bohème was used as the music stimulus. Participants ( N = 103) were randomly assigned to the experimental (audio + video, audio + video with subtitles) and control (audio only) groups. Continuous data were collected via the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI), and summative data were collected via a post hoc questionnaire. Results revealed significant differences in listeners’ continuous data among all three groups, with the audio condition evidencing the highest response magnitude, and the subtitles group receiving the lowest response magnitude. No significant differences were found among the groups with respect to summative perceptions of expressivity or focus of attention. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.