Taiwanese Preferences and Cultural Factors Influencing Visuals in Taiwanese Health Pamphlets

Abstract

This study aims to discover what preferences Taiwanese people have for visuals in health documents, with the research question being, What are Taiwanese preferences for visuals and visual elements in health documents? Research is conducted through a mixed-methods approach with a comparative analysis of a collection of American and Taiwanese health pamphlets, surveys conducted with Taiwanese people inquiring about preferences concerning visuals in health documents, and interviews conducted with doctors educated and practicing in Taiwan. In this way, the study moves from what visuals are currently being used, to what kinds of visuals Taiwanese people prefer, to how health professionals relate to visuals. Consistencies found among all three studies such as mood and picture preference are found to be related to the Chinese principle of Health equals Happiness. Taiwanese prefer that health education stay positive in its presentation. Things such as real images, which could send a negative message, should either be removed or replaced with personified objects to give a document a more positive feeling. Research was conducted mostly with educated Taiwanese. Future work could be done with seniors, youth, or less-educated groups