The Influence of Cognitive Schemas and Cultural Framing on the Perception of War Photographs in Print and Electronic Media from 1990 to the Present

Abstract: This paper examines the role of cognitive schemas and cultural framing in the reception of war photographs. Following a theoretical review of the literature on cognitive bias, framing, and the cultural gaze, the paper presents the results of a questionnaire completed by 30 participants, which recorded individual differences in vigilance toward threat and intercultural sensitivity, as well as emotional and cognitive reactions to five war photographs. The findings show moderate-to-high emotional responses to the images, along with correlations between the tendency toward threat vigilance, the reported influence of cultural background, and the interpretation of images through the lens of pre-existing beliefs — findings consistent with the hypotheses of cognitive bias and cultural framing.