Helen M Lillie1, Manusheela Pokharel2, Kevin K John3, Katheryn R Christy4, Sean Upshaw5, Elizabeth A Giorgi1, Jakob D Jensen1. 1. Department of Communication, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. 2. Department of Communication, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA. 3. School of Communications, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA. 4. School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI, USA. 5. Moody College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In narratives, characters often face threats where they either live (survivor narratives) or die (death narratives). Both outcomes have the potential to persuade, and are frequently utilised in mass communication campaigns, yet more research is needed examining the relative effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of each strategy. DESIGN: U.S. adults (N = 1010) were randomly assigned to a 2 (survivor, death) × 2 (non-foreshadowed, foreshadowed) × 2 (within-study replication: narrative 1, narrative 2) between-participants experiment with melanoma stories as stimuli. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intentions to engage in sun safe behaviour and skin self-examination behaviour were assessed in the pre- and posttest, and then transformed into change scores. RESULTS: Death narratives increased sun safe behaviour intentions. Consistent with the entertainment overcoming resistance model, foreshadowed death narratives were found to increase sun safe behaviour intentions via increased transportation and decreased counterarguing. CONCLUSION: Compared to survivor narratives, death narratives increase intentions to engage in sun safe behaviour. The findings offer support for character death as a key feature of narrative persuasion, and narrative transportation and counterarguing as important mediational pathways.
OBJECTIVE: In narratives, characters often face threats where they either live (survivor narratives) or die (death narratives). Both outcomes have the potential to persuade, and are frequently utilised in mass communication campaigns, yet more research is needed examining the relative effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of each strategy. DESIGN: U.S. adults (N = 1010) were randomly assigned to a 2 (survivor, death) × 2 (non-foreshadowed, foreshadowed) × 2 (within-study replication: narrative 1, narrative 2) between-participants experiment with melanoma stories as stimuli. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intentions to engage in sun safe behaviour and skin self-examination behaviour were assessed in the pre- and posttest, and then transformed into change scores. RESULTS: Death narratives increased sun safe behaviour intentions. Consistent with the entertainment overcoming resistance model, foreshadowed death narratives were found to increase sun safe behaviour intentions via increased transportation and decreased counterarguing. CONCLUSION: Compared to survivor narratives, death narratives increase intentions to engage in sun safe behaviour. The findings offer support for character death as a key feature of narrative persuasion, and narrative transportation and counterarguing as important mediational pathways.
Authors: Pierluigi Diotaiuti; Stefania Mancone; Lavinia Falese; Maria Ferrara; Fernando Bellizzi; Giuseppe Valente; Stefano Corrado; Francesco Misiti Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2022-05-11 Impact factor: 5.435