The saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, is this saying really true or just an overused cliché? There are varying opinions on this question, some say they can remember a point much easier when it is portrayed through an image rather then words, however, there are others who feel there is more to be gained from words then a picture. Although there are different opinions I do think a picture is worth a thousand words, and in many cases can be more impactful then just words.
Sight is a human sense, where as reading is not. When a person sees something it sticks in their head. For example, images from the Hubble space craft depicting the incredible world of outer space, or the photographs published by Jet Magazine of the mutilated body of 14 year old Emmett Till from Chicago in 1955 pumble the reader with intense attraction or in the case of Emmett Till, repulsion to the image. No amount of words could ever tell the story of Emmett Till; only the photographs could serve justice in showing how gruesome his murder was.
Another example of this is advertising. United States companies spend large amounts of money each year determining what the best way to advertise is. Estimated numbers show the amount of money spent on advertising in 2008 to be approximately $412,400,000,000. These companies don’t just guess what methods of advertising will work, they spend huge sums of money figuring out how the money they are using in advertising can be made most effective.
This research concludes that images are the best way to advertise as opposed to just text. Very seldom do you see a commercial with just text, no images. The reason is because a picture is worth a thousand words and will allow the viewer to remember the advertisement easier. Speaking of this, Laura Peracchio of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee says, "This research finds that people will make inferences about products--even if the ad copy does not explicitly address those features--just from viewing a product picture. Viewers are most likely to infer that a product has that feature and will perform well. Under these conditions, they also seem to like products better. Thus, consistency of the picture and ad copy helps people to make positive inferences about a product,” From this it is apparent that at least when it comes to advertising, pictures are not just better, but are the best possible option for an efficient and productive ad.
In conclusion, there might not be a definitive answer to the question of whether or not a picture is worth a thousand words, or if pictures or words are more effective. Some people believe that the best and most effective way to get a point across is through words. Theodore Schick Jr. and Lewis Vaughn of how To Think About Weird Things believe that people do not perceive images for exactly what they are, but instead allow their minds to subconsciously add to or construct to what they say in their mind. “Much research now suggests that perception is constructive, that it’s in part something that our minds manufacture.” (Schick and Vaughn 105) This can be dangerous because when people view images their perception might be different or biased, this takes away from the value of images. In addition to this, these people do have an argument because there is no doubt that a more thorough, detailed, and at times more accurate portrayal of something is achieved with words as opposed to a picture. However, as pointed out earlier, no words can accurately portray the murder of Emmett Till, and no description in writing of images from the Hubble spacecraft will ever fill a person with awe in the way that the actual images do. Also, in the advertising realm we see that images are necessary to create the best possible advertisement. Overall, it is probably best to have a combination of both images and words. In some cases, one might be better then the other. However, as seen in the previous examples, there are undoubtedly some situations in which a picture can portray something that words alone will never be able to do. This justifies the statement that a picture truly is worth a thousand words.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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