Frontiers | From media engagement to global impact: a serial moderated mediation model of cultural relatability and emotional resonance in Chinese culture communication

March 17, 2026 - 08:08

New research is shedding light on how cultural content from China resonates internationally, moving beyond simple media exposure to explain lasting global influence. A recent study proposes a detailed pathway showing how audience interaction with media translates into broader cultural impact.

The findings highlight two critical, sequential factors: cultural relatability and emotional resonance. Initially, for international audiences, media engagement fosters a sense of cultural relatability—the perception that the content, while foreign, contains universally understandable elements or themes. This relatability does not directly create impact but instead sets the stage for the second crucial step.

This step is emotional resonance. The study suggests that relatability powerfully triggers an emotional connection with the content, whether through shared values, compelling narratives, or artistic beauty. It is this deeply felt emotional response, activated by feeling a sense of relation to the material, that ultimately drives meaningful global cultural impact.

The research underscores that successful cultural communication is not merely about volume or reach. Instead, it is a nuanced psychological process where engagement leads to recognition of shared human experiences, which in turn evokes the emotions that make a culture memorable and influential on the world stage. This model provides a framework for understanding how diverse narratives can cross borders and create a genuine, lasting impression.