Narrative persuasion

Definition

Narrative persuasion refers to the process of influencing people's attitudes and beliefs through storytelling. By engaging audiences with relatable characters and compelling plots, narratives can create emotional connections that enhance persuasive messages, making them more impactful. This approach taps into the human tendency to relate to stories, ultimately affecting how individuals perceive information and can lead to attitude change.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Narrative persuasion works effectively because stories create a sense of empathy, allowing listeners to see the world from different perspectives.
2. Research shows that people are more likely to accept persuasive messages when they are embedded within engaging narratives rather than presented as straightforward arguments.
3. Narratives can bypass rational defenses, making individuals more receptive to new ideas by appealing to their emotions and values.
4. The effectiveness of narrative persuasion often depends on the narrative's characteristics, such as the relatability of characters and the coherence of the storyline.
5. Audience characteristics, such as prior beliefs and personal experiences, also play a significant role in how narrative persuasion impacts attitude change.

Review Questions

• How does narrative persuasion enhance the acceptance of persuasive messages compared to traditional argumentation?
  • Narrative persuasion enhances acceptance by engaging audiences emotionally and drawing them into a story where they can relate to characters and situations. This emotional involvement allows individuals to connect personally with the message, often leading them to lower their defenses against opposing viewpoints. Unlike traditional argumentation that relies on logical reasoning alone, narratives facilitate a deeper understanding through empathy and connection, making the persuasive message more impactful.
• Discuss how transportation plays a critical role in the effectiveness of narrative persuasion.
  • Transportation is essential in narrative persuasion because it refers to the immersive experience where an audience becomes absorbed in a story. When individuals are transported into a narrative, they temporarily lose their sense of reality and become deeply engaged with the characters and plot. This heightened state of engagement enhances their openness to the messages conveyed in the story, leading to increased likelihood of attitude change and belief acceptance.
• Evaluate how emotional appeal within narratives can contribute to cognitive dissonance and subsequent attitude change.
  • Emotional appeal within narratives can create cognitive dissonance when the emotions evoked by the story conflict with an individual's existing beliefs or attitudes. For instance, if a narrative portrays a character overcoming adversity due to compassion while a listener holds negative views towards that character's background, this creates discomfort. To resolve this dissonance, the individual may be motivated to reassess their beliefs, potentially leading to a shift in attitudes that align more closely with the empathetic messages conveyed through the narrative.

Related terms

Transportation: The process by which individuals become mentally and emotionally engaged in a narrative, leading to a shift in their beliefs and attitudes.

Emotional Appeal: A persuasive technique that seeks to evoke emotions in the audience to enhance the effectiveness of a message.

Cognitive Dissonance: A psychological phenomenon where individuals experience discomfort due to conflicting beliefs or attitudes, which can motivate them to change their views.