ORCID

Jenna Kasselman: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4543-3109

Creation Date

5-16-2026

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science

Major(s)

Computer Science

Document Type

Immediate Open Access

Abstract

Subtitles have a long history with the medium of audiovisual communication. Options for viewing media with added text have only increased with technology, and in the age of the internet, more accessible material is available than ever before. While numerous studies have been conducted on the beneficial effects of subtitles for both the deaf and the hearing, little academic publication has been done on the rates of subtitle usage, reasons for usage, and how that usage differs based on what media is being viewed. The current study examines subtitle usage, frequency of subtitle usage, and reasoning for that usage divided by short-form versus long-form media. Participants were given two items assessing usage, two items assessing usage frequency, two items assessing reasons for usage, two free responses, and one self-report item assessing deafness, as well as a consent item required to partake in the study. It was found that participants used subtitles more often on long-form media than short-form media, and the frequency with which participants used subtitles on long-form media was significantly higher than short-form media. A high proportion of respondents cited understanding as their reasoning for subtitle usage, with that percentage being higher on long-form media. Further research is encouraged in this area, with larger sample sizes and more reasoning options.

Date Defended

4-23-2026

Funding Source

None

Thesis Director

Dr. Jessie Cossitt

Second Committee Member

Dr. Ed Swan

Third Committee Member

Dr. Donna Clevinger

Rights Statement

© 2026 Jenna Kasselman. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.54718/AETS1334