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Part of
Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics
Edited by Agnieszka Piskorska
[Figurative Thought and Language 8] 2020
► pp. 193–226

Chapter 7
Relevance, style and multimodality

Typographical features as stylistic devices

| Dublin City University, Ireland
| The University of Auckland, New Zealand

Brightly coloured textual inserts, which often occupy a sizable part of the TV screen, have become a key feature in Japanese TV. This paper unpacks the contribution of such multimodal stimuli to inference, and the consequences this has for the interpretation process. Using data derived from a mixed-methods approach (i.e. eye-tracking and a multimodal content analysis), we evaluate the relationship between cognitive processing and communicative stimuli. We demonstrate how typographical features (colours and fonts) are used as highlighting stylistic devices by TV producers to manipulate the viewer comprehension process by guiding the audience to an intended interpretation. The results suggest how editorial choices regarding typographical features to trigger certain effects might be subsumed under the current view of style in relevance theory.

Keywords: typography, multimodality, Japanese TV, telop, style, viewer behaviour, pragmatic effects, eyetracking, propositional attitudes, affect
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Background: Telops on Japanese TV
  • 2.Typographical features, stylistics and multimodal analysis
    • 2.1Suitability of typographical features
    • 2.2Social semiotic approach to typography: Multimodal analysis of fonts
    • 2.3Issues with the multimodal approach
  • 3.Relevance theory and pragmatic effects
  • 4.Case study: Theoretical explanation and reception study of viewer behaviour
    • 4.1Research question and research design
    • 4.2Telops and typographical features
    • 4.3Typographical features and interpretation – telops and relevance theory
      • 4.3.1“Affective” interpretation and typographical features
      • 4.3.2Propositional attitudes and typographical features
  • 5.An empirical approach to telops
    • 5.1Methodology: Eye-tracking
    • 5.2Results: Eye-tracking data
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
  • Sources of visual material
Published online: 20 May 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.8.07sas
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Cited by

Cited by 3 other publications

Sasamoto, Ryoko, Stephen Doherty & Minako O’Hagan
2021. The ‘hookability’ of multimodal impact captions. Translation, Cognition & Behavior 4:2 ► pp. 253 ff. DOI logo
Scott, Kate
2023. Nutritional labeling, communication design, and relevance. Frontiers in Communication 8 DOI logo
Scott, Kate & Rebecca Jackson
2020. Chapter 6. When EVERYTHING STANDS OUT, Nothing Does. In Relevance Theory, Figuration, and Continuity in Pragmatics [Figurative Thought and Language, 8], ► pp. 167 ff. DOI logo

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