Abstract
The following study aims to advance knowledge about the effects of narration and point-of-view formats on attention, arousal, and recall for persuasive messages relayed in public service announcements (PSAs). The experiment combines two frameworks, narratology and valence, to expose subjects to 12 different PSAs concerning the topic of animal abuse. Both psychophysiological data and self-report measures were analyzed to determine if three formats of narratology regarding point-of-view (no vocal POV vs. first-person vs. third-person) with two valences (positive vs. negative) have an effect on arousal, as indicated by skin conductance; attention, as indicated by heart rate and memory, and recall as indicated by a posttest unaided recall. The findings contribute toward understanding the emotional and cognitive effects that stimuli have on arousal, attention, and memory.
Highlights
Narrative formats are suggested as an effective means of persuading, in part, because of increased engagement, which may lead to decreased message resistance
A related concept to the latter is the point of view (POV) of the story; that is, in simplistic terms, does a single character tell the story, does the story progress from multiple characters contributing to the tale, or is the viewer positioned as privy to all action as a bystander? Narratology theory proposes that POV can affect involvement levels of the audience through identifying with the choices and actions of characters (Abrams, 1988)
The current study considered the effects of point-of-view and valence employed in public service announcements (PSAs) –a communication format similar to ads yet typically with purposes of educating about social issues (Nan, 2008) – on arousal, attention, and recall as measured by psychophysiological responses, including indicators of heart rate, skin conductance, as well as self-report surveys
Summary
Narrative formats are suggested as an effective means of persuading, in part, because of increased engagement, which may lead to decreased message resistance (see Slater & Rouner, 2002). Narratology theory proposes that POV can affect involvement levels of the audience through identifying with the choices and actions of characters (Abrams, 1988). The first-person point of view invites audiences to perceive themselves as a central character in stories, generating higher level involvement. Narratology psychology theory further proposes that narratives can influence cognition regarding the ways people think and form judgments based on their understanding of information and stories (Pemberton & Aarten, 2017). The elicitation of emotional responses is based on assimilative and accommodative modes. The former schema refers to agreeable responses to a narrator’s points, while the latter aims to minimize conflicting emotions against a narrator’s perspective. For campaigns of public issues, valence is an additional consideration; that is, whether a message is presented positively, such as pointing out benefits, or negatively, such as focusing on consequences; both of which can affect reactions (Lang, 2000)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
