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In the contemporary short video ecosystem, language design has gradually become a low-cost yet highly efficient tool for online dissemination. This study focuses on the widespread use of rhyming expressions—a typical rhetorical device—in Douyin’s Knowledge Section, exploring how they drive audience engagement and flow performance. Based on Cognitive Fluency Theory and the Rhyme-as-Reason Effect, we hypothesize that rhythmic language reduces viewers’ cognitive load, enhances memory retention, and increases interactive willingness. By sampling 50 representative short videos from Douyin’s Knowledge Section and employing content analysis and independent sample comparison, we examine the relationship between the use of rhyming and audience engagement rates (ER). The results show that short videos employing rhyming significantly outperform those that do not in terms of engagement rates. Rhyming emerges as an independent positive predictor, and its effect remains significant regardless of the creator’s follower count. This study enriches the understanding of how textual features influence flow in short videos and provides low-cost content optimiza-tion strategies for creators of knowledge-dissemination content.
Short Video; Rhyming; Knowledge Section; Engagement Rate; Flow Mechanism; Douyin
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The Mechanisms of Flow Generation by Rhyming Language in Douyin’s Knowledge Section
How to cite this paper: Qiqi Wu, Juan Chenng. (2026) The Mechanisms of Flow Generation by Rhyming Language in Douyin’s Knowledge Section. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 10(3), 286-291.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2026.03.007