Journal article
Does it matter if a story character lives or dies?: a message experiment comparing survivor and death narratives
Psychology & health, Vol.37(4), pp.419-439
04/03/2022
DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2021.1873337
PMCID: PMC8286982
PMID: 33464969
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) x 2 (non-foreshadowed, foreshadowed) x 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.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Does it matter if a story character lives or dies?: a message experiment comparing survivor and death narratives
- Creators
- Helen M. Lillie - University of UtahManusheela Pokharel - Texas State UniversityKevin K. John - Brigham Young UniversityKatheryn R. Christy - University of Wisconsin–MadisonSean Upshaw - The University of Texas at AustinElizabeth A. Giorgi - University of UtahJakob D. Jensen - University of Utah
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Psychology & health, Vol.37(4), pp.419-439
- DOI
- 10.1080/08870446.2021.1873337
- PMID
- 33464969
- PMCID
- PMC8286982
- NLM abbreviation
- Psychol Health
- ISSN
- 0887-0446
- eISSN
- 1476-8321
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 21
- Grant note
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering (NIBIB) National Cancer Institute; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) 1DP2EB022360-01; 3P30CA042014-29S7 / NIH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/03/2022
- Academic Unit
- Communication Studies
- Record Identifier
- 9984309754402771
Metrics
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