See It on a Radio Story: Sound Effects and Shots to Evoked Imagery and Attention on Audio Fiction

Radio’s capacity to stimulate the creation of mental images in the mind of its listeners has long been acknowledged. Nevertheless, research into mental imagery has focused principally on the study of visual stimuli, although studies into radio itself have mostly concerned the field of advertising. In this study, we examine the influence of two stimuli associated with auditory processing on radio: sound effects and sound shots. The chosen context for the study is that of a fictional story, or audio drama, through which to measure the role of these stimuli both in creating mental images in the listener’s mind and in maintaining his or her attention. Our findings demonstrate that the inclusion of descriptive sound effects and especially of sound shots in a fictional radio drama increases mental imagery and that a relationship exists between this increase and the degree of listener attention.