Sometimes stories sell: When are
narrative appeals most likely to work?
Narratives are an important part of everyday life, from parents reading
bedtime fables to their children to people lining up to see the latest
Hollywood blockbuster.
Research has provided evidence that narratives can influence people’s
attitudes. Transportation is the mechanism underlying this type of attitude
change. Transportation is a process by which a person engaging with a
particular narrative becomes immersed into the narrative world. There are
individual differences in the extent to which people generally become
transported into narratives. Being transported into a particular narrative
transportation scale differs from an individual’s general tendency to
become transported into any narrative. In this research, we focused on
studying the relation of two individual difference measures with
transportation, transportability, and receptivity to narrative and rhetorical
appeals.
The need for affect (NFA) is conceptualized as a motivation to seek out and
become involved in emotional situations.
The need for cognition (NFC) is conceptualized as a motivation to engage
in and enjoy effortful cognitive activities.
Individual differences in need for affect influenced receptivity to an affect-
based message, whereas individual differences in need for cognition
influenced receptivity to a cognition-based message. The need for affect is
likely to be related to the utility of narrative persuasive appeals. People
with need for cognition are more likely to carefully process persuasive
arguments and respond differently to strong and weak arguments.
Study 1
In study 1, participants read an experimental or control narrative, followed
by a measure of attitude, the transportation scale and measures of
transportability, NFA and NFC.
The measure is intended to assess participants’ perceptions about the
importance of close friendships and loyalty between close friends within
the context of this survival story about a dog and his master. We expected
that NFA and NFC would be positively related to transportation and
transportability. Participants who read the exper- imental narrative tended
to express more message-congruent attitudes than participants who read
the control narrative.
Study 2
Study 2 had two aims. First, we sought to replicate the fndings of Study 1
regarding the relations among the individual difference measures, this
time using a different narrative topic of an applied nature. Second, we
explored whether the persuasiveness of narrative and rhetorical appeals
differs across individuals. To test these ideas, we developed two appeals
that advocated screening for cervical cancer. The narrative appeal was
, adapted from an article in a magazine about a woman who suffered from
cervical cancer. The rhetorical appeal was developed by taking the
medical information from the narrative and presenting it in a clear, bullet-
point form.
There was no difference between the narrative and rhetorical appeals,
indicating that participants perceived the appeals to be of equal efficacy.
NFA and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a marginally
signifcant predictor of attitude.
NFC and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a signifcant
predictor of attitude. It was found that the narrative appeal was more
influential among high NFC participants compared with low NFC
participants. It is possible that NFC motivates people to become engaged
with the narrative, which enhances transportation.
Study 3
n Study 3, we sought to replicate and generalize the fndings of Study 2
regarding differences in how participants responded to narrative and
rhetorical appeals, using a different topic: organ donation. In this study, we
developed a short narrative about a woman who decided to undergo a life-
altering lung transplant. We also developed a rhetorical appeal that gave
factual information about organ donation.
Participants perceived the appeals to be of equal efficacy. Appeal efficacy
was not related to scores on the individual difference constructs. The
correlations among NFA, NFC, transportation and transportability are
based on responses provided by participants in both the narrative and
rhetorical conditions. Overall the pattern of relations is consistent with
what was found in studies 1 and 2. NFA and NFC were positively correlated
with both transportation and transportability.
NFA and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a signifcant
predictor of attitude.
NFC and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a signifcant
predictor of attitude.
General discussion
Individuals high in NFA are more likely to approach emotional situations
and thus should be more likely to approach and engage with the emotional
nature of narrative appeals. Individuals high in NFC are motivated to
process information thoroughly. This motivation to approach situations that
are cognitively involving would result in individuals high on this construct
being more likely to engage with the narrative, rather than passively
reading it.
Participants who are motivated to approach emotional situations were
more likely to engage with the narrative appeal. The emotional impression
of the narrative would be lined to any attitude formed during the
transportation process.
narrative appeals most likely to work?
Narratives are an important part of everyday life, from parents reading
bedtime fables to their children to people lining up to see the latest
Hollywood blockbuster.
Research has provided evidence that narratives can influence people’s
attitudes. Transportation is the mechanism underlying this type of attitude
change. Transportation is a process by which a person engaging with a
particular narrative becomes immersed into the narrative world. There are
individual differences in the extent to which people generally become
transported into narratives. Being transported into a particular narrative
transportation scale differs from an individual’s general tendency to
become transported into any narrative. In this research, we focused on
studying the relation of two individual difference measures with
transportation, transportability, and receptivity to narrative and rhetorical
appeals.
The need for affect (NFA) is conceptualized as a motivation to seek out and
become involved in emotional situations.
The need for cognition (NFC) is conceptualized as a motivation to engage
in and enjoy effortful cognitive activities.
Individual differences in need for affect influenced receptivity to an affect-
based message, whereas individual differences in need for cognition
influenced receptivity to a cognition-based message. The need for affect is
likely to be related to the utility of narrative persuasive appeals. People
with need for cognition are more likely to carefully process persuasive
arguments and respond differently to strong and weak arguments.
Study 1
In study 1, participants read an experimental or control narrative, followed
by a measure of attitude, the transportation scale and measures of
transportability, NFA and NFC.
The measure is intended to assess participants’ perceptions about the
importance of close friendships and loyalty between close friends within
the context of this survival story about a dog and his master. We expected
that NFA and NFC would be positively related to transportation and
transportability. Participants who read the exper- imental narrative tended
to express more message-congruent attitudes than participants who read
the control narrative.
Study 2
Study 2 had two aims. First, we sought to replicate the fndings of Study 1
regarding the relations among the individual difference measures, this
time using a different narrative topic of an applied nature. Second, we
explored whether the persuasiveness of narrative and rhetorical appeals
differs across individuals. To test these ideas, we developed two appeals
that advocated screening for cervical cancer. The narrative appeal was
, adapted from an article in a magazine about a woman who suffered from
cervical cancer. The rhetorical appeal was developed by taking the
medical information from the narrative and presenting it in a clear, bullet-
point form.
There was no difference between the narrative and rhetorical appeals,
indicating that participants perceived the appeals to be of equal efficacy.
NFA and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a marginally
signifcant predictor of attitude.
NFC and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a signifcant
predictor of attitude. It was found that the narrative appeal was more
influential among high NFC participants compared with low NFC
participants. It is possible that NFC motivates people to become engaged
with the narrative, which enhances transportation.
Study 3
n Study 3, we sought to replicate and generalize the fndings of Study 2
regarding differences in how participants responded to narrative and
rhetorical appeals, using a different topic: organ donation. In this study, we
developed a short narrative about a woman who decided to undergo a life-
altering lung transplant. We also developed a rhetorical appeal that gave
factual information about organ donation.
Participants perceived the appeals to be of equal efficacy. Appeal efficacy
was not related to scores on the individual difference constructs. The
correlations among NFA, NFC, transportation and transportability are
based on responses provided by participants in both the narrative and
rhetorical conditions. Overall the pattern of relations is consistent with
what was found in studies 1 and 2. NFA and NFC were positively correlated
with both transportation and transportability.
NFA and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a signifcant
predictor of attitude.
NFC and their interaction were entered into a regression as predictors of
attitude. The results revealed that the interaction was a signifcant
predictor of attitude.
General discussion
Individuals high in NFA are more likely to approach emotional situations
and thus should be more likely to approach and engage with the emotional
nature of narrative appeals. Individuals high in NFC are motivated to
process information thoroughly. This motivation to approach situations that
are cognitively involving would result in individuals high on this construct
being more likely to engage with the narrative, rather than passively
reading it.
Participants who are motivated to approach emotional situations were
more likely to engage with the narrative appeal. The emotional impression
of the narrative would be lined to any attitude formed during the
transportation process.
