ABSTRACT
This research examines the influence of address style (direct, no address) and narrative voice (first-person, third-person) on the feeling of being pressured by a public service announcement about work stress in two sequential studies. The results of a choice-based conjoint analysis show that persuasive messages designed with a first-person narrative voice and direct address tend to pressure recipients. Results of a between-subjects online experiment suggest that this feeling increases subjects' behavioral intentions to prevent stress when people interact parasocially with the displayed character. Both direct address and first-person narrative voice led directly to reduced behavioral intention to prevent stress.
Subject(s)
Motivation , Persuasive Communication , Humans , Intention , Narration , Health PromotionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine parental perceptions of pediatrician blog posts by narrative voice. METHODS: Three blog posts each on 2 topics (vaccines and sleep) were written by an established physician blogger and varied by narrative voice (personal, third person objective and mixed). Topics were chosen to be applicable to all parents. Blog posts were evaluated by a communications expert, 2 research investigators, and 3 parents to confirm differences in narrative voice. We sampled parents of children 0 to 18 years old in 4 primary and subspecialty care clinics, and 1 inpatient medical unit. Participants were randomized to read 2 blog posts (1 per topic) that varied by narrative voice. Participants rated their perceptions of the accuracy, reliability, and appeal for each blog posts on a 5-point Likert Scale. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the distribution of parental rankings for accuracy, reliability, and appeal. RESULTS: The average participant age (n = 258) was 39.8 (SD 9.7), 83% were female. Blog posts written in the third person objective voice were rated as more accurate and reliable than those in the personal or mixed voice. There was effect modification by topic, with parents rating the sleep blog posts as more accurate than the vaccine blog posts. There was no difference in the appeal of information by narrative voice or topic of blog post. CONCLUSIONS: The narrative voice used to convey information on pediatrician blog posts can influence reader perception of accuracy and reliability. Physician bloggers can enhance parental trust of their content using study findings.
Subject(s)
Blogging , Pediatricians , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Parents , Perception , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
El presente trabajo se centra en la prevención del tabaquismo utilizando mensajes narrativos. En particular, se analiza el papel de doscaracterísticas de los mensajes narrativos que pueden influir, de manera indirecta, en la intención de dejar de fumar, las expectativas deauto-eficacia y la percepción de la eficacia de la respuesta preventiva.Para ello, se llevó a cabo una investigación experimental (N = 680,50% mujeres y rango de edad 18-55 años) con un diseño factorial 2(voz narrativa: mensaje en primera vs. tercera persona) x 2 (similitudcon el protagonista: baja vs. alta). Los resultados mostraron que lacondición óptima de recepción (narración en primera persona protagonizada por un personaje similar a la audiencia) indujo niveles máselevados de identificación con el protagonista (un exfumador describía el proceso de abandono del tabaco y las mejoras que ha experimentado desde entonces). Los análisis mediacionales mostraron quela condición óptima de recepción ejercía efectos indirectos significativos sobre las variables dependientes que se debían al aumento de laidentificación y la reducción de la reactancia. Además, la condiciónóptima de recepción también ejerció un efecto indirecto significativosobre la eficacia percibida de la respuesta preventiva que se explicabapor el incremento de la identificación y la reducción de la contra-argumentación. El presente trabajo abre una línea de estudio sobre laconstrucción de mensajes narrativos para la prevención del tabaquismo. Se pone de manifiesto la relevancia de las características que dichos mensajes deben tener para que se activen procesos mediadoresque faciliten la persuasión. (AU)
This study focuses on smoking prevention using narrative messages.In particular, the role of two narrative attributes that can indirectlyinfluence the intention to quit smoking, self-efficacy expectations andthe perceived effectiveness of the preventive response were analysed.An experimental study was carried out (N = 680, 50% women and agerange 18-55 years) with a 2 (narrative voice: first- vs. third-person message) x 2 (audience-protagonist similarity: low vs. high) between-subjects factorial design. Results showed that the optimal reception condition (first-person narrative with a highly similar protagonist to theaudience) induced the highest levels of identification with the protagonist (a former smoker who described the process of quitting smokingand subsequent the improvements he has experienced). Mediationalanalyses showed that the optimal reception condition exerted significant indirect effects on the dependent variables, due to the increasein identification and reactance reduction. In addition, the optimalreception condition also exerted a significant indirect effect on theperceived effectiveness of the preventive response that was explainedby stronger identification and weaker counterarguing. The presentstudy opens an innovative line of research on the construction of narrative messages for smoking prevention. The relevance of the characteristics of these messages is highlighted in order to activate mediatingprocesses that facilitate persuasion. (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Smoking Prevention/methods , Health Communication/methods , Narrative Therapy/methods , Narrative Therapy/trends , Personal Narratives as Topic , Identification, Psychological , 28573ABSTRACT
Narrative messages are increasingly being used in the field of tobacco prevention. Our study is based on narrative persuasion and aims to analyze the psychological mechanisms that explain why the narrative voice is relevant to promote persuasive impact. An online experiment with a 2 (narrative voice) × 2 (message) factorial design was carried out. Participants (525 adult smokers) were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions (first-person versus third-person narrative message). To increase the external validity of the study, two different messages were used within each condition. After reading the narrative message the mediating and dependent variables were evaluated. Participants who read the narrative in the first person experienced greater identification. Moreover, mediational analysis showed that both counterarguing and cognitive elaboration played a significant role in the relationship between narrative voice, identification, and persuasive impact. This study confirm that narrative voice is not only an anecdotal formal choice but that it indirectly affects variables related to tobacco prevention, due to the fact that first-person messages activate a mechanism of affective connection with the message (increasing the identification with the protagonist) that decreases resistance to prevention (the counterarguing process) while simultaneously stimulating reflection or cognitive elaboration.
