Multimodal Documentary Storytelling and Historical Memory Formation: The Mediating Role of Emotional Engagement

Abstract

Increasingly, historical documentaries utilize multimodal storytelling techniques in order to tell complicated stories of the past; yet, little research has been conducted about the cognitive processes by which multimodal elements impact historical memory. The purpose of this study was to explore the connection between historical memory retention and multimodal documentary storytelling, paying particular attention to the mediating role of emotional engagement. Based on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML), this study employed a post-positivist quantitative design. Participants were randomly allocated into one of two experimental groups and asked to complete an online survey after viewing either a high- or low-multimodality documentary. The analysis of data involved descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, reliability analysis, multiple regression, and PROCESS Macro Model 4 mediation analysis performed in IBM SPSS Statistics. It was found that participants in the high multimodality group experienced higher levels of emotional engagement compared to the participants in the low multimodality group. Emotions turned out to be positively related to historical memory retention. Mediation analysis indicated partial mediating effects of emotions, which means that the link between historical memory retention and documentary multimodality is partly explained by emotional engagement. Thus, historical memory is constructed not just due to multimodal documentary communication but also cognitive-affective engagement in it. The results, interpreted in accordance with CTML and Levels of Processing theory, contribute to the field of multimedia learning.