Revisiting the Kuleshov effect with first-time viewers

Researchers have recently suggested that historically mixed findings in studies of the Kuleshov effect (a classic film editing-related phenomenon whereby meaning is extracted from the interaction of sequential camera shots) might reflect differences in the relative sophistication of early vs. modern cinema audiences. Relative to experienced audiences, first-time film viewers might be less predisposed and/or able to forge the required conceptual and perceptual links between the edited shots in order to demonstrate the effect. The current study recreates the conditions that traditionally elicit this effect (whereby a neutral face comes to be perceived as expressive after it is juxtaposed with independent images: a bowl of soup, a gravestone, a child playing) to directly investigate and compare “continuity” perception in first-time and more experienced film viewers. Results confirm the presence of the Kuleshov effect for experienced viewers (explicitly only in the sadness condition) but not the first-time viewers, who failed to perceive continuity between the shots.