Narrative Messages Research Articles

"It Happened to Me and It's Serious": Conditional Indirect Effects of Infection Severity Narrated in Testimonial Tweets on COVID-19 Prevention.

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 resulted in societal breakdowns around the world. Our research is based on determining which features of testimonial messages are most relevant in increasing persuasive impact. An online experiment with a 2 (severity infection narrative: low vs. high) × 2 (infection target: narrative's protagonist vs. protagonist's father) between-subject factorial design was carried out. Young people between 18 and 28 years (N = 278) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions, where they were asked to read a narrative message in the form of a Twitter thread describing a COVID-19 infection (with mild or severe symptoms) that affected either the protagonist of the message (a 23-year-old young person) or their father. After reading the narrative message, the mediating and dependent variables were evaluated. A message describing a severe COVID-19 infection affecting their protagonist to increase the perception of personal risk increased the persuasive impact through an increase in cognitive elaboration and a reduction in reactance. Our study highlights that creating persuasive messages based on social media targeted at young people that describe a careless behavior resulting in a severe COVID-19 infection can be an appropriate strategy for designing prevention campaigns.

Narrative Messages and the Use of Emotional Appeals on Endometriosis Screening Intention: The Mediating Role of Positive Affect.

Endometriosis affects around 10% of women globally, yet the awareness and screening rates for this condition are relatively low. Utilizing an online survey-based experiment with a sample of 18-30-year-old young women (N = 326), this study aimed to investigate the efficacy of narrative messages vs. non-narrative messages for promoting endometriosis screening intention, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of hope appeal vs. fear appeal in narrative messages. The study also examined the potential mediating mechanisms through self-efficacy and positive affect responses that may help elucidate the effect of emotional appeals on behavioral intentions, while taking into account an individual's readiness to change. Findings indicated that narrative and non-narrative messages did not produce significantly different screening intentions. Compared to the use of fear appeal, the hope appeal in narrative messages predicted a higher level of positive affect responses, which was associated with increased endometriosis screening intentions. Individual difference in readiness to engage in endometriosis screening was not found to be a significant moderator. These results have implications for future research utilizing hope appeals in narrative health messaging. The observed significant mediational pathway through positive affect advances understanding of positive discrete emotions as facilitators to health-related cognition and behavior changes.

Mollifying green skepticism: Effective strategies for inspiring green participation in the hospitality industry.

Environmental awareness is a growing concern for consumers, and effective green messaging strategies are crucial for businesses. This 2 × 2 between-subject experiment investigates the influence of message style and sidedness on consumer participation in green practices and explores the role of message usefulness and skepticism. Our results show that a narrative message style and a two-sided message increase perceived usefulness, reduce skepticism, and lead to greater behavioral intent. Further, the study supports the moderated serial mediation role of message usefulness and skepticism. These findings offer significant implications for businesses seeking to promote sustainable practices and engage consumers in green initiatives.

Narrative versus statistical messages: The interplay of perceived susceptibility and misperceptions on vaccine intention.

Although there is enough scientific evidence to show the benefits and safety of vaccines, vaccine rates are low, while misperceptions about vaccines are on the rise. The main purposes of the current study are to 1) examine the effects of narrative vs. statistical messages on vaccine intention, 2) test the mediating role of perceived expectancies, and 3) examine the moderating roles of perceived susceptibility and misperceptions on vaccine intention. Data were collected with an online experiment through Amazon Mturk. The online experiment was conducted via Qualtrics once the study was considered exempt by the Institutional Research Board of a large University in the U.S. A total of 300 participants aged 18 and above completed the survey. Findings show that perceived expectancies mediate the relationship between message manipulation and vaccine intention. Our findings also show a three-way interaction which indicates that among individuals with high misperceptions, statistical messages are more persuasive for individuals with high perceived susceptibility, while narrative messages are more influential for individuals with low perceived susceptibility.

Comparing the effects of simple and refutational narratives in misinformation correction: The moderating roles of correction placement and issue involvement.

The study examines whether adding a refutational ending to narrative messages improves correction effectiveness and how the effect differs depending on whether the correction message is presented before or after exposure to misinformation. A 2 (narrative format: simple vs refutational narrative) × 2 (correction placement: prebunking vs debunking) between-subjects online experiment (N = 281) with US participants was conducted to correct misinformation about human papilloma virus vaccines. The results suggested that the refutational narrative was more effective in reducing misbeliefs in prebunking, whereas the simple narrative was more effective in debunking. This interaction was further moderated by issue involvement. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Visual policy narrative messaging improves COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

In the face of vaccine hesitancy, public health officials are seeking more effective risk communication approaches to increase vaccination rates. We test the influence of visual policy narratives on COVID-19 vaccination behavior through a panel survey experiment conducted in early 2021 (n = 3,900) and then 8 weeks later (n = 2,268). We examine the effects of three visual policy narrative messages that test the narrative mechanism of character selection (yourself, your circle, and your community) and a nonnarrative control on COVID-19 vaccine behavior. Visual risk messages that use narratives positively influence COVID-19 vaccination through serial mediation of affective response to the messages and motivation to get the COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, character selection matters, as messages focusing on protecting others (i.e. your circle and your community) perform stronger than those of yourself. Political ideology moderated some of the effects, with conservative respondents in the nonnarrative control condition having a higher probability of vaccination in comparison to the protect yourself condition. Taken together, these results suggest that public health officials should use narrative-based visual communication messages that emphasize communal benefits of vaccinations.

Testing the effectiveness of narrative messages using critical health communication

ABSTRACT Background: Latinos suffer from health disparities associated with excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of messaging using critical health communication approaches and delivered by two narrative modalities (video and comic book) with similar content that aims to empower Latinos to advocate for social change and to make individual behavior change related to sugary beverage consumption. Methods: Participants (N = 129 Mexican American women between 18 and 29 years) completed an online survey before and after exposure to an embedded stimulus. Participants were randomly assigned to a stimulus, a narrative message in video or comic book format, both developed using critical health communication approaches that focused on individual harms and social causes of sugary beverage consumption. Results: Paired sample t-test results showed that both narrative messages increased intentions to reduce sugary beverage consumption (Video: P < 0.01; d = 0.43; Comic: P = 0.03; d = 0.28). Both groups also demonstrated significant improvements in sugary beverage-related media literacy (Video: P = 0.01, d = 0.34; Comic: P = 0.05, d = 0.25), public health literacy (Video: P = 0.05, d = 0.24; Comic: P = 0.01, d = 0.32), and empowerment to engage in sugary beverage-related community movements (Video: P = 0.003, d = 0.38; Comic: P = 0.034, d = 0.27). Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence indicating the effectiveness of narrative messages in two modalities using critical health communication for promoting individual behavioral intention and social activation in reducing sugary beverage consumption.

Effects of Issue- and Character-Based Narrative Political Ads on Ad Evaluations

Abstract: The purpose of the present study is to explore how narrative political ads interact with other message strategies in affecting recipients’ ad responses. To accomplish that, we conducted a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment whereby participants viewed political ads manipulated by message format (non-narrative vs. narrative), message valence (negative vs. positive), and message focus (issue vs. character). Results suggested that narrative political ads elicited favorable advertising evaluations via increased transportation and reduced counterarguing. Moreover, when political ads attacked the competing candidate’s character, the narrative message led to higher levels of empathy and lower levels of counterarguing than the non-narrative message. Reduced counterarguing was the mechanism through which favorable ad evaluations were generated. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications.

Through narratives we learn: Exploring knowledge-building as a marketing strategy for prosocial water reuse

Planned water reuse is a viable way to increase potable water supplies for the growing human population and industrialization; however, consumers’ low acceptance of treated wastewater remains a critical obstacle to planned reuse water implementation. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that affect the ingestion of educational materials and the storytelling process through which consumers form attitudes and intentions. We explore how water reuse knowledge (including actual and perceived knowledge), framing of the narrative message, media credibility, and individual culture affect consumer acceptance of planned reuse, after receiving educational material regarding water reuse. Anchoring on narrative transportation theory, a series of three studies test the hypotheses (pooled N = 893). The results show that actual and perceived knowledge affects trust, attitude, and intention to consume reuse water. Consumers’ long-term orientation influences acceptance of reuse water, while benefit emphasis of the message and media credibility do not have significance.

Developing theory-driven narrative messages with personal stories: A step-by-step guide.

Narratives are commonly utilized in health promotion and behavior change interventions due to their efficacy over didactic or expository interventions. While grounding narratives in behavioral theory may render them more effective, balancing the integration of theoretical and creative aspects of the narrative development process while maintaining authenticity is challenging. Thus, this manuscript describes a rigorous process through which researchers can intentionally integrate theory and personal stories for health interventions. The process for creating theory-driven narratives involves the following steps: (1) defining the purpose of the narratives, (2) selecting a guiding theory, (3) collecting personal testimonials, (4) immersing self into testimonials, (5) identifying central narratives and important variations, (6) considering additional theories, (7) piecing quotes into cohesive stories, (8) filling in the gaps, and (9) checking for resonance. To exemplify this step-by-step process, we provide a case study from our research involving the development of a psychoeducational intervention to model information seeking strategies for managing cancer-related uncertainty among women who have recently tested positive for pathogenic genetic variants that increase risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. We discuss special considerations for developing theory-driven narrative interventions and reflect on how this rigorous step-by-step process can be adapted by other researchers.

Adolescents' Victim-Blaming Responses to Narratives About Sex Trafficking: Strategies for Curriculum Development.

In the United States, sex-trafficking awareness and prevention has increasingly become part of government-mandated health education. This exploratory study surveyed 250 U.S. adolescents to learn more about the use of media narratives in curricula about sex trafficking in light of research findings about victim-blaming responses to survivor narratives, as well as adolescents' still-developing emotion-regulation skills. Victim blaming is counterproductive to the goals of trafficking awareness and prevention curricula. Participants viewed one of four narrative messages about a sex-trafficking victim/survivor. Over half of participants reported victim-blaming responses after viewing the message. Participants reported low perceived efficacy regarding the ability to recognize the signs of trafficking, and some participants experienced intense fear responses to the messages. Victim blaming was not associated with fear or perceived efficacy, contradicting predictions from the Extended Parallel Process Model. This study concludes with recommendations for educators and others tasked with communicating with adolescents about sex trafficking.

Women Are Survivors: Public Services Announcements on Violence Against Women in Latin America.

This study considers the role that public service announcements (PSAs) play in addressing violence against women (VAW) in Latin America. Using content analysis, the study examines 407 PSAs about VAW from 20 Latin American countries. The results show that 62.3% of the PSAs encourage bystanders to denounce violence while portraying women as victims in 48.8% of the PSAs. However, 71.7% of PSAs did not include a helpline or how to report the crime, only 11.8% of the PSAs have non-narrative, or factual information, about VAW, and just 6.4% engage in compelling narrative messaging or storytelling.

Using testimonial narratives to persuade people about artificial intelligence: the role of attitudinal similarity with the protagonist of the message

This study addresses the factors that increase the persuasive impact of testimonial narrative messages on artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, the effect on two variables that, to date, have not been explored in this field is analyzed: the attitudes toward AI (positive versus ambivalent) expressed by the protagonist of the narrative message (a testimonial in audiovisual format) and the role of participants’ prior beliefs about AI. An online experiment (N = 652) was carried out to contrast the effect of attitudinal similarity on identification with the protagonist of the narrative message and the indirect effect on attitudes and intention to use AI. The results showed that the message whose protagonist expressed positive attitudes toward AI induced greater identification only in those participants with previous positive beliefs. In contrast, the message whose protagonist expressed ambivalent attitudes toward AI induced greater identification only among participants with previous negative beliefs. In addition, identification and cognitive elaboration were found to mediate the effect of attitudinal similarity on the attitude toward and intention to use AI. These findings are discussed in the context of narrative persuasion research and the development of campaigns for improving social perceptions of data science.

Are signs enough? Using normative and narrative messaging to protect the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus) in coastal Oregon

Outdoor recreation can negatively impact wildlife. Shorebirds are especially sensitive because they often inhabit beaches used for recreation. Beaches at Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA) provide critical habitat for the federally threatened western snowy plover (WSPL) (Charadrius nivosus), which nests and forages in open sand. The ODNRA uses rope fencing and signs to communicate closures of WSPL habitat, but past efforts have not been highly successful. To improve compliance with closures, this study tested signs with messages based on the focus theory of normative conduct (i.e., Normative) and the extended elaboration likelihood model (i.e., Narrative). In an experimental design, the two treatment signs were compared to a control (an existing sign). We examined how the messages affected visitor attention to signs and impacted compliance with WSPL restrictions. Nearly 800 people were unobtrusively observed as they approached the sign and their reading behavior was documented. At regular intervals, an observer scanned the beach to count the number of people in and out of compliance with the regulations. Approximately one third of visitors read the treatment signs, while only 5% read the control sign. The Narrative sign was the most effective in deterring entry into WSPL nesting habitat. Findings suggest that a narrative format may encourage visitors to perform wildlife friendly behaviors. However, because many visitors still recreated inside WSPL nesting habitat after being exposed to signs, signs should be used to supplement strategies such as fencing or personal contact.

Preliminary efficacy of a tailored narrative intervention to increase human papillomavirus vaccination intention among a multi-ethnic sample of female students

Objective. We investigated the preliminary efficacy of a tailored human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on-line intervention designed to increase HPV vaccination intention. Participants. Female college students (N = 101; 18-26 years), who have not received the HPV vaccine. Methods. Participants were randomized to either a control group to read standard Center for Disease Control information or a narrative intervention group to read two narrative messages about HPV/HPV vaccination that were tailored based on the individual’s sexual history and told from the perspectives from a peer and an expert. Participants were assessed at baseline (T1) and immediately after the intervention (T2). Results. The narrative intervention group reported a greater increase from T1 to T2 in vaccination intention compared with control group. Both groups reported increases in knowledge, positive attitude, self-efficacy, social norm, and perceived susceptibility to HPV from T1 to T2. Conclusions. A narrative intervention is promising to effectively increase HPV vaccination intention.

Can the Non-Human Subaltern Speak? Addressing Injustice through Parakeets, Penguins and Blue Macaws

"Anthropomorphic animals have formed a staple part of the human imagination across space and time, creating a liminal space that offers scope for eco-critical narratives in which anthropomorphic animals offer a counter-gaze to human activities and environmental injustice. The purpose of this study is to look at the characters of Rio, Happy Feet, and Delhi Safari to highlight how talking animals in each of the three animated films voice environmental concerns, and to delineate linguistic factors which regulate the dynamics of power, agency, and care. The article looks at Delhi Safari, which centres on the non-humans’ use of the human tongue to voice their woes before human authority. At the same time, it aims to delineate human attempts to talk to birds in Rio and delve into the very idea of endangered animals being companion species. It seeks to shift from linguistic modes of communication to analyse the narrative and meta-narrative messages conveyed through the dancing penguins of Happy Feet. Finally, the article hopes to address the use and misuse of care by both humans and non-humans, look at the implicit anthropocentrism in such a depiction, and consider the possibility of a truly post-human form of environmental ethics. Keywords: eco-criticism, linguistic, environmental, post-humanism, post-anthropocentrism, non-human, critical animal studies, semiotic, contact zone "

A narrative approach for overcoming the message credibility problem in green advertising

Companies are going green, both to benefit the planet and to make their brands more appealing. But some green initiatives have a twofold nature: they require cooperative behaviors by consumers, but save costs for the company. In such situations, companies advertising green initiatives have to overcome a message credibility problem, because people suspect the initiatives are primarily designed to save company costs. This research examines different approaches for making green advertising more credible. Study 1 shows that a narrative (vs. non-narrative) message style is more credible and yields better green evaluations; further, these effects are amplified when the message has two-sided (vs. one-sided) claims. Study 2 confirms the positive effects of narrative (vs. non-narrative) messages and demonstrates the advantage of using messages with specific (vs. general) information about the green initiatives. Results also support the theorizing that the effects of the message variables on green evaluations are mediated by message credibility.

Effects of Narrative Messages on Key COVID-19 Protective Responses: Findings From a Randomized Online Experiment.

PurposeWe investigated the effectiveness of narrative vs non-narrative messages in changing COVID-19-related perceptions and intentions.Design/SettingThe study employed a between-subjects two-group (narratives vs non-narratives) experimental design and was administered online.Subjects/Intervention1804 U.S. adults recruited via Amazon MTurk in September 2020 were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions and read either three narrative or three non-narrative messages about social distancing, vaccination, and unproven treatments.MeasuresPerceptions and intentions were assessed before and after message exposure (7-point scales).AnalysisUsing multivariable regression, we assessed main effects of the experimental condition (controlling for baseline measures) and interactions between the condition and pre-exposure perceptions/intentions in predicting post-exposure outcomes.ResultsCompared to non-narratives, narratives led to (1) less positive perceptions about the benefits of unproven treatments (Mnarrative = 3.60, Mnon-narrative = 3.77, P = .007); and (2) less willingness to receive an unproven drug (Mnarrative = 3.46, Mnon-narrative = 3.77, P < .001); this effect was stronger among individuals with higher baseline willingness to receive unproven drugs (baseline willingness = 2.09: b = −.06, P = .461; baseline willingness = 3.90: b = −.30, P < .001; baseline willingness = 5.71: b = −.55, P < .001). Narratives also led to more positive perceptions of vaccine safety/effectiveness, but only among individuals with lower baseline vaccine perceptions (baseline perceptions = 4.51: b = .10, P = .008; baseline perceptions = 5.89: b = .04, P = .167; baseline perceptions = 7: b = −.01, P = .688).ConclusionNarratives are a promising communication strategy, particularly for topics where views are not entrenched and among individuals who are more resistant to recommendations.

Narrative Messages, Information Seeking and COVID-19 Vaccine Intention: The Moderating Role of Perceived Behavioral Control.

PurposeThe main purposes of the current study are to examine 1) the influence of narrative vs statistics messages on COVID-19 related information seeking and COVID-19 vaccine intention and 2) the moderating role of perceived behavioral control (PBC).DesignData for a between-subject randomized experiment were collected online. The manipulation messages were presented as screenshots from the CDC’s Facebook page.SettingThe participants were recruited from Amazon MTurk.SubjectsA total of 300 subjects participated in the study, who were 18 years and above (M = 38.40).MeasuresIntention to seek information, COVID-19 vaccine intention, and PBC.AnalysisTo test the hypotheses, we utilized Hayes’s (2014) PROCESS for SPSS (Model 1). For intention to seek information, the main effect of the message manipulation (narrative vs statistics) [b = −2.10, t (300) = −4.14, P < .001] and the interaction [b = .41, t (300) = 3.88, P < .001] were significant. For vaccine intention, the main effects of message manipulation [b = 1.64, t (300) = −2.61, P < .005] and the interaction [b = .34, t (300) = 2.64, P < .005] were significant.ResultsOur research found that narrative messages were more persuasive for both information seeking and vaccine intention. But this was true only in the case of individuals whose PBC was low.ConclusionsOur findings have critical implications for vaccine promotion research.

The effect of evidence in nonprofit donation requests: how does mindset play a role?

ABSTRACT The use of evidence in bolstering message believability has been shown in the literature. However, more work is needed to understand the effect of evidence in the monetary donation context for nonprofit organizations. This paper aims to partially close the knowledge gap in this area by (i) comparing the effectiveness of statistical and narrative donation messages on message believability, (ii) investigating the moderating effect of abstract and concrete mindset on the relationship between message type and believability, and (iii) analyzing the resulting effect on subsequent donation intentions. Our findings show that there is no difference in the effect of statistical versus narrative messages on message believability when the recipient of the message is in abstract mindset. However, when the recipient is in concrete mindset, statistical messages lead to stronger believability perceptions. Furthermore, higher believability is found to increase individual monetary donation intentions.