Weakening of the Effect: A Study on the Reverse Third-Person Effect of Spring Festival Gala Digital Humans

Abstract

As technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual digital humans increasingly enter the cultural communication domain, the integration of digital and physical elements has become a significant approach to innovating traditional culture. However, technological innovation does not necessarily translate into the expected communication outcomes. This study takes Weibo discussions sparked by the digital-physical integrated programs of the 2026 Spring Festival Gala as its research subject, introducing the third-person effect and counter-third-person effect theories, and employs content analysis and in-depth interviews to examine audiences’ cognition, emotions, and interactive behaviors toward culturally integrated digital-physical content. The findings reveal that audiences exhibit high self-involvement with the programs and feel an urge to persuade others; however, persuasive actions do not lead to attitude change but may instead reinforce pre-existing judgments through debate. Consequently, the counter-third-person effect manifests as a “variant effect” in the social media era, shifting communication outcomes from attitude change to attitude entrenchment and public opinion polarization, thereby weakening the intended cultural communication goals.