Message Valence Research Articles

What Motivates People to Support?: Impacts of Message Valence and Self-Efficacy on Linguistic Features of Response.

This study investigates factors that motivate users of social network sites (SNS) to write responses to support-seeking posts on SNS. In particular, support-seeking message valence and support providers’ efficacy perceptions were examined. An online experiment with 209 participants revealed that participants reported lower support provision efficacy and impression management efficacy when responding to a negative post than a positive post. Message valence and efficacy perceptions impacted word count and emotion words in their responses. Theoretical and pragmatic implications for supportive communication and computer-mediated communication were discussed.

Investigating combined effect of WOM and eWOM: role of message valence

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate consumer preference formation in presence of reviews coming from traditional and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) under different conditions of review valence.Design/methodology/approachScenario-based experimental design was used for this study. A total of 172 respondents were randomly assigned across four experimental scenarios and a control group. Across-groups comparisons were conducted using post hoc Dunnett’s test for checking the hypothesis.FindingsThe study revealed that negativity bias impacted consumer judgement formation to such an extent that positive valence from higher credibility source (WOM) is over-powered by negative reviews from lesser trusted source (eWOM). Further, a negative valence review from higher credibility source (WOM) may not be countered even in presence of consensus of positive valence review coming from a higher number of positive eWOM.Originality/valueThis study contributes to existing literature by examining consumer preference behaviour in presence of reviews coming from traditional and eWOM under different conditions of review valence. While earlier studies have examined individual role of WOM and eWOM under differing valence conditions, this paper extends literature by studying combined effect of WOM and eWOM under different review valence.

Evaluating the Adequacy of Emoji Use in Positive and Negative Messages from Close and Distant Senders.

Computer-mediated communication allows people to communicate across several contexts (e.g., friends, professional settings) by using video-based or text-based channels. In the latter case, communication lacks nonverbal cues (e.g., tone of voice) that are critical to message interpretation. Including emoji can help express emotion and reinforce or clarify the meaning of a message. However, the benefits of using emoji are likely to depend on the context (e.g., the relationship between interlocutors) and the messages' features (e.g., the valence of the message). To date, studies have not systematically and empirically examined how the use of emoji is perceived across different communication scenarios. In the current study, we asked 175 participants (49.5 percent women; Mage = 36.32, SD = 12.22) to imagine receiving either a negative or a positive message from 22 senders (e.g., friend; bank manager) and to indicate, for each case, how much they would like to receive an emoji and how useful and appropriate they considered the use of emoji. These ratings were combined into a single index of emoji use adequacy. Based on factor analysis, the 22 scenarios were aggregated in distant and close scenarios. Overall, results showed that participants considered emoji use more inadequate in distant (vs. close) scenarios and for negative (vs. positive) messages. These findings suggest that the perceived benefits of emoji use for text-based communication may not be generalized to all text-based communication contexts, such that relationship proximity and message valence should not be overlooked. Implications for the fields of consumer psychology and communication are discussed.

Impact of Teachers' Language Expression and Message Valence when Conveying Classroom‐Compliance Instructions1

AbstractThis study examines how the types of language expression and message valence used by teachers to convey classroom‐compliance instructions affect elementary‐school children's psychological reactance and their intention to follow instructions. Altogether, 178 elementary‐school children (54% girls) participated in a mixed‐design experiment. Participants read four self‐developed cartoons, where a hypothetical teacher conveyed classroom‐compliance instructions through four expressions, and responded to questions measuring psychological reactance and the intention to follow instructions based on the cartoons. The results showed that psychological reactance was relatively significant in the high‐controlling language condition. In the low‐controlling language condition, the approach evoked less psychological reactance and enhanced the intention to follow instructions, whereas avoidance did so in the high‐controlling language condition. Our findings offer suggestions on how teachers can improve classroom management by altering their messages in accordance with the motivation characteristics of their students.

Nanoinfluencer marketing: How message features affect credibility and behavioral intentions

The present study investigates the effectiveness of nanoinfluencers in persuading consumers on social media platforms. Specifically, we propose that message features, such as message construal and message valence, determine message credibility, which influences behavioral intentions toward the service provider and the nanoinfluencer. Three experiments were carried out to test the hypotheses across different contexts. The study findings reveal that low-construal messages posted by the nanoinfluencer are viewed as more credible than high-construal messages. Furthermore, message valence moderates this relationship, such that positively framed low-construal messages are perceived as more credible than negatively framed low-construal messages, which affects consumers’ behavioral intentions. Theoretically, the present study contributes to the literature on influencer marketing by examining the persuasion process for nanoinfluencers. The study findings provide novel insights for service providers interested in nanoinfluencer marketing and nanoinfluencers looking to increase message credibility and grow their following.

Can media synchronize our physiological responses? Skin conductance synchrony as a function of message valence, arousal, and emotional change rate

ABSTRACT Guided by nonlinear dynamical systems theory, this study examined the degree to which media can synchronize individuals’ emotional arousal responses (as indicated by skin conductance) during video viewing as a function of message valence, arousal, and emotional change rate. Data from 490 paired dyads created from 45 participants were analyzed. We used cross recurrence analysis (a nonlinear dynamical analysis) to capture the dynamics of physiological synchrony. Results showed that calm compared to arousing messages and negative arousing compared to positive arousing messages generated stronger, more deterministically structured, and more stable skin conductance synchrony. Fast compared to slow changes in emotion generated stronger but not necessarily more deterministic and stable skin conductance synchrony. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Detecting conflicts in collaborative learning through the valence change of atomic interactions

Naturally, every collaboration will bring conflicts that can affect the performance of a team. The earlier a conflict is detected and managed in a collaborative group, the better. Detecting and tracking conflicts in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is laborious work. If the teacher does it, the intervention may be out of time. Although written dialogues in groups having a conflict reveal the increment of negative emotions in comparison to non-conflict dialogues, a classifier that only uses statistics of the valence of consecutive messages in a window of the talk shows poor performance. This paper proposes to use features based on the valence change between a message and its response. In this way the algorithm focuses in the kind of interaction. We study different implementations of the bootstrap aggregating technique to detect conflicts. Results obtained show the viability of the proposed approach.

The Effect of Consumer Concern for the Environment, Self-Regulatory Focus and Message Framing on Green Advertising Effectiveness: An Eye Tracking Study

ABSTRACT The aims of the present study were: (a) to analyze the advertising message of renewable energies using eye-tracking technology, based on differences in the level of attention captured according to message valence (positive, neutral and negative) and the message framing; and (b) to evaluate the moderating role of consumers’ level of environmental concern and their self-regulatory focus. The results demonstrate differences in the time taken for low-elaboration stimuli to start to take effect for participants with high and low concern for the environment. It is also found that negative text-based advertisements are the most effective at attracting attention. In general terms, participants with the greatest concern for environmental matters tend to focus more quickly and more frequently on these negative stimuli, which require a greater degree of elaboration. The study also presents interesting recommendations for the development of awareness-raising campaigns about renewable energy.

The effects of user comment valence of Facebook health messages on intention to receive the flu vaccine: the role of pre-existing attitude towards the flu vaccine and psychological reactance

This study examined if and how Facebook user-generated comments about the flu vaccine influenced psychological reactance in conjunction with pre-existing flu vaccine attitude. Psychological reactance was further tested as a mediating factor influencing behavioural intention to receive the vaccine. An experimental study was conducted with 264 college students. The results showed that pre-existing attitude positively influenced participants’ intention to obtain the flu vaccine through an increase (a decrease) in psychological reactance when there was inconsistency (consistency) between the pre-existing attitude and valence of comments. Collectively, the results demonstrate that psychological reactance is one possible theoretical mechanism through which social media users’ health behaviours are influenced by user-generated comments.

Heartbreaking vs. Heartwarming Facebook Advertisements by Nonprofits to Help the Rohingya Refugees

It is a common observation to see Muslim communities affected by violence and mass migrations. This is often followed by international nonprofits running online campaigns to receive charitable donations. Specifically, the Rohingya refugee crisis spurred Facebook advertisements based on negative emotional appeals. We argue that such advertisements make viewers emotionally numb to the victims. We propose that viewers will respond more altruistically when presented with solutions-oriented information. To test this assumption, we conducted a between-group experiment (n = 102) manipulating message valence (positive vs. negative) of a Facebook advertisement. Results indicate that participants in the positive condition expressed more positive emotions and that nonprofits should cease creating heartbreaking advertisements when similar levels of empathy can be evoked from heartwarming advertisements. Participants in both conditions expressed similar empathy, trust, and intentions to donate. The study offers implications to positively frame the Muslim communities affected by violence on social media.

Public responses to employee posts on social media: the effects of message valence, message content, and employer reputation

PurposeThis study examines the effects of employees' personal social media posts on external publics' online engagement and offline word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions about a company. Specifically, it investigates how employee post characteristics including valence and content and employer reputation jointly influence publics' online and offline behaviors.Design/methodology/approachA 2 (post valence: positive vs. negative) × 2 (post content: organization-related vs. job-related) × 2 (employer reputation: good vs. bad) between-subjects experiment was conducted. Participants were asked to view a stimulus social media post created by a fictitious company employee, reflecting one of the eight experimental conditions on a random basis. After viewing, they were requested to report their online engagement intentions (i.e., “like,” “share” and “comment”) with the post and offline WOM intentions about the company.FindingsThe experimental results showed that participants expressed more “like” intentions when they viewed a positive post than a negative post. Further, they were more likely to “comment” on a job-related post as opposed to an organization-related post. In addition, a significant interaction effect between post valence and employer reputation on publics' online engagement was found, which in turn influenced their offline WOM intentions about the company.Originality/valueThis study is among the first empirical attempts to examine the effectiveness of employees' personal social media posts on external publics' online and offline behaviors. The experimental findings highlight the importance of managing employee relations from a corporate reputation perspective.

"What you say and how you say it" matters: An experimental evidence of the role of synchronicity, modality, and message valence during smartphone-mediated communication.

Nowadays, smartphone-Mediated Communication (SMC) has become a popular form of social interactions. The present experimental study manipulated three aspects of messaging in a WhatsApp chat as a form of SMC: synchronicity (immediate vs. time-lagged response), modality (with or without emojis), and valence (empathic accurate vs. empathic inaccurate response). The aim of this study was to investigate whether these three aspects had an impact on perceived social support, interpersonal trust, and personality attribution of the communication partner. The partial mediation of perceived social presence (the evaluation of the communication partner's accessibility) and subjective social presence (the perception of being concordant with him/her) was also examined. Participants were 160 young adults, balanced in gender. They were randomly assigned to different the experimental conditions where they engaged in a manipulated WhatsApp chat with a fictitious same-gender communication partner. Post-questionnaire data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Message valence (empathic accurate response) and modality (with emojis) significantly predicted higher levels of both forms of social presence. Synchronicity (immediate response) predicted higher levels of perceived but not subjective social presence. Social presence, in turn, was positively associated with social support, while subjective, but not perceived social presence, was positively associated with personality attribution. Neither perceived nor subjective social presence were related to interpersonal trust. Our results show that both what is said and how it is said impact the experience of interpersonal relations in SMC.

The impact of age on goal-framing for health messages: The mediating effect of interest in health and emotion regulation.

Messages to promote health behavior are essential when considering health promotion, disease prevention, and healthy life expectancy. The present study aimed to examine whether (1) positive and negative goal-framing messages affect message memory and behavioral intention differently in younger, middle-aged, and older adults, (2) framing effects are mediated by interest in health (health promotion and disease prevention) and emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and (3) mediation effects differ between positive and negative frames. Participants (N = 1248) aged 20 to 70 years were divided into positive and negative frame conditions. Framing demonstrated interactive effects on message memory; all age groups showed higher recognition accuracy in the positive than the negative frame. The accuracy of younger adults was higher than that of older adults in the negative frame, while older adults showed higher accuracy than younger adults in the positive frame. Additionally, recognition accuracy was higher in the positive frame, as participants had higher interest in health promotion and used cognitive reappraisal more frequently. Contrariwise, emotion regulation and interest in health promotion did not have significant effects on memory in negative frames. Moreover, regardless of the message valence, age did not influence behavioral intention directly but was mediated by interest in health and emotion regulation, while the older the participants were, the higher their interest in health, resulting in higher intention. For emotion regulation, intention increased with higher reappraisal scores and decreased with increasing suppression. Our results suggest that interest in health and emotion regulation should be considered when examining the relationship between age and goal-framing for health messages.

Combined framing effects on attitudes and behavioral intentions toward mortgage advertisements

PurposeMortgage lenders often combine a variety of framing strategies when developing mortgage advertisements. To date, these frames have mostly been studied separately. This paper, however, studies the combined framing effects of message valence, specificity, and temporality on consumers' mortgage decision-making.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods design was used. First, 13 unique print ads collected from a Canadian newspaper were analyzed for content. Second, a 2 × 2 × 2 scenario-based experiment with 400 undergraduate participants examined the framing effects of valence, specificity and temporality on attitudes toward the mortgage advertising message, the product advertised, and the brand, as well as on consumers' behavioral intentions toward the advertised mortgage product.FindingsThe content analysis suggests that combined framing does exist in print ads. A positive message with a fixed term and a specific interest rate were the most commonly used frames. The experiment revealed that, for behavioral intentions, the main effect of the message temporality was significant. The effects of advertising a long-term mortgage on behavioral intentions were more favorable than those of advertising a short-term mortgage.Practical implicationsThis research provides a combined framing model for designing advertising strategies for the financial services industry to market complex financial products, such as mortgage loans to consumers. This is relevant to lenders when designing a persuasive package or ads for potential customers.Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind to investigate the effects of combinations of message frames on consumers' mortgage decision-making, while also advancing the understanding of message framing theory for the financial services industry.

Pro-veganism on Instagram

PurposeThrough two experiments, this study assessed source and message effects of Instagram-based pro-veganism messages.Design/methodology/approachExperiment 1 (N = 294) examined effects of organization (brand vs nonprofit) and message types (egoistic vs altruistic) on consumer responses to Instagram-based pro-veganism content. Experiment 2 (N = 288) examined effects of source type (celebrity vs noncelebrity) and message valence (positive vs negative) on consumer responses to Instagram-based pro-veganism content.FindingsResults demonstrated significant main effects of organization type, with consumers indicating more positive attitudes and higher credibility toward the brand. Significant main effects of message type were also found, with altruistic messages eliciting higher perceived information value than egoistic messages. Subjective norms had moderating effects on attitude toward the organization, while attitude toward veganism had moderating effects on perceived information value. Results also indicated significant main effects of message valence on perceived information value of pro-veganism Instagram posts and significant interaction effects of the two manipulated factors on intention to spread electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) about pro-veganism.Originality/valueImplications for use of Instagram-based health marketing communication about veganism were discussed. Specifically, organizations looking to use social media to influence attitudes and behavioral intentions toward health issues should seek to reach their target audiences through selecting endorsers and messages that will optimally present the health issue in a relatable and engaging way.

Will You Ever Trust the Review Website Again? The Importance of Source Credibility

ABSTRACTOnline product reviews provide vital information to help customers with their purchase decisions. It is therefore critical for administrators of online review websites to ensure the credibility of their sites. Most studies have focused on customers’ perceptions of the source credibility of online review websites before the customers make a purchase. However, the studies have ignored the fact that purchase decision outcomes (i.e., product performance) may also influence the perceived credibility of the source. We address this research gap by considering the perception of source credibility in both the prepurchase and postpurchase phases. We draw upon source credibility theory to define the concept of incongruous source credibility (ISC) in the context of online review websites. This concept is based on a customer’s mental comparison of prepurchase versus postpurchase perceptions of source credibility. Three experimental studies were conducted to investigate the impact of ISC on customers’ revisiting intention and positive word of mouth. The studies explored the moderating effects of message valence and review sidedness as well as the mediating effects of disappointment and satisfaction. The results show that the consistency or inconsistency between the online review and product performance can lead customers to reconsider their judgments of the credibility of online review websites. The results also show that ISC affects both revisiting intention and positive word of mouth for such sites. The findings contribute to research on source credibility and online review websites, suggesting that practitioners managing these sites should consider customers’ ISC.

Employees as information influencers of organization’s CSR practices: The impacts of employee words on public perceptions of CSR

This study investigates the impact of employees’ words about their organization’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on external publics’ attitudes and behaviors toward the organization. Specifically, it examines how the valence (positive vs. negative) of employees’ words regarding a CSR campaign interacts with the type of channel (face-to-face vs. social media) of employees’ communication behaviors, and how these factors affect external publics’ perceived authenticity of the organization’s CSR, corporate attitudes, and purchasing intentions, respectively. An online experiment among 221 general consumers in the United States was conducted. The results demonstrated that negative messages regarding CSR distributed by employees in face-to-face communication decreased publics’ favorable attitudes and behavioral intentions to a greater extent than that distributed via social media (i.e., Facebook). However, the effect of communication channel became insignificant when positive messages regarding CSR were shared by employees. The results further showed that perceived authenticity mediated the effects of channel and message valence on publics’ attitudes and behavioral intentions. Theoretical and practical implications for CSR practices and employee communication are discussed.

Rear negativity: Verbal messages coming from behind are perceived as more negative

AbstractMany studies have explored the evaluative effects of vertical (up/down) or horizontal (left/right) spatial locations. However, little is known about the role of information that comes from the front and back. Basing our investigations on multiple theoretical considerations, we propose that spatial location of sounds is a cue for message valence, such that a message coming from behind is interpreted as more negative than a message presented in front of a listener. Here we show across a variety of manipulations and dependent measures that this effect occurs in the domain of social information. Our data are most compatible with theoretical accounts which propose that social information presented from behind is associated with uncertainty and lack of control, which is amplified in conditions of self‐relevance.

An Examination of Gain- and Loss-Framed Messaging on Smart Home Security Training Programs

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained popularity among home consumers due to its characteristics related to automation, information gathering, and purported physical security benefits. In an effort to capitalize on an expanding market, IoT developers have rushed products to market without proper due diligence regarding device cybersecurity. By being more focused on the utility and convenience of IoT devices without being concerned about their devices’ inherent security flaws, consumers may be unwittingly putting themselves at risk. Gain- and loss-framed messaging has been an extensively studied form of persuasive communication in other research fields but has not been previously examined in the context of information security research. Using an experimental design, we assess the efficacy of applying gain- and loss-framed principles to a security education training and awareness (SETA) program designed to bolster IoT users’ concerns related to pertinent IoT-based threats and provide information about their corresponding countermeasures. We found that for consumers with low initial IoT security concerns, loss-framed messaging is more effective in increasing security concerns. For consumers with higher initial concerns, messages focusing on desirable outcomes, regardless of an overall gain- or loss-framed message valence, are effective at increasing IoT security concerns.

When Do People Verify and Share Health Rumors on Social Media? The Effects of Message Importance, Health Anxiety, and Health Literacy

This study explores the roles of perceived message importance, health anxiety, and health literacy in the relationship between message factors (message label and message valence) and behavioral intentions for rumor verification and sharing. 660 Twitter users responded to unverified information regarding the influenza vaccine. A 3 (label: none vs. news vs. rumor) × 2 (valence: positive vs. negative) online semi-experiment, with a survey to measure health anxiety and health literacy, showed the following results: First, perceived message importance mediated the relationship between message factors and behavioral intentions: only in the condition of the negative message, participants considered a news-labeled message more important than a rumor–labeled or a no-label message. Perceived message importance was associated with intentions to verify and share the message. Second, health anxiety interacted with perceived message importance only when predicting an intention to share the message. Last, healthy literacy interacted with perceived message importance when predicting intentions to both verify and share the message. The results will provide implications for health communication research and practices, especially on managing and controlling rumor dissemination on social media.