Multimedia Richness and Narrative Coherence in the Digital Heritage of Cave Murals and Rock Art: A Simulated Empirical Study Based on Virtual Reality Experience

Abstract

This article focuses on the digital display challenges of fragile rock art cultural heritage, and deeply explores the complex interaction mechanism between "multimedia richness" and "narrative coherence" in digital heritage experiences. In response to the problem of "lack of interpretation" and "cognitive overload" caused by the current emphasis on technical appearance and neglect of cognitive guidance in digital displays, this study designs a logically consistent virtual reality (VR) simulation empirical framework. Based on the stimulus-body-response (S-O-R) model, the study simulated and measured how multimedia richness and narrative coherence jointly regulate the external cognitive load, sensory immersion, and deep emotional resonance of the audience, thereby influencing their intentions for protecting cultural heritage. The simulation results show that simply pursuing high multimedia richness without underlying narrative logic constraints will lead to a significant increase in the audience’s external cognitive load, suppressing cultural understanding; while strong narrative coherence can not only effectively "reduce noise" and tame the complexity of interpretation, but also elevate sensory stimuli to a deep emotional resonance, thus becoming the core engine driving the audience’s intention for heritage protection. This study not only refutes the simplistic technological determinism, but also provides a practical "technology-narrative-emotion" framework for future digital curation of cultural heritage and cross-cultural communication.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Rock Art Research, 2026 · DOI ↗