Enhanced Experiences in Interactive Nonfiction: An Experimental Study on the Effects of Nonlinearity and Interactivity

Abstract

The evolution of digital media has been accompanied by new ways of telling stories. Interactive nonfiction includes works that represent reality and employ interactive technology. This field has been studied from the perspective of production, especially in journalism where there is an emergence of interactive and immersive formats, but there are still questions about its value from the point of view of reception. The aim of this study is to identify the effects of nonlinearity and multimedia-interactive attributes on the user experience. The research is based on an experimental design (N = 110) with an interactive documentary in webdoc format. The results indicate that nonlinearity and multimedia-interactive attributes have positive effects on perceived levels of engagement and immersion. These contributions can be applied in digital journalism, where publishers seek to engage new audiences, and other fields, such as education and health, with the effect of transforming viewing into an enhanced experience.