Effects of Humor on Presence and Recall of Persuasive Messages

Abstract

This investigation examined how exposure to a humorous persuasive message affects antecedents of presence (i.e., the sensation of being “in” a mediated environment) facilitating message recall. Participants in an experimental study viewed either a humorous or non-humorous version of an alcohol public service announcement and then completed measures of positive emotion, perceived credibility, psychological reactance, presence, and message recall. As predicted, positive emotion was related to an increase in perceived credibility and a decrease in reactance. Increased perceived credibility was associated with greater feelings of presence, negatively affecting recognition memory. These findings suggest that presence may sometimes impede persuasive message recall, although not necessarily to the detriment of attitude change.

Keywords:

• Health Communication
• Persuasion
• Presence

Notes

∗p < .05.

Slater (2002) also said that the traditional persuasive benefits of source credibility become irrelevant when entertainment strengthens audience identification with media characters. However, the type of traditional benefits from source credibility alluded to by Slater are more consistent with benefits derived from the type of systematic consideration of message attributes characterized by central-route processing, and not the type of heuristic benefit characteristic of peripheral-route processing we are discussing here.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paul Skalski

Paul Skalski (PhD, Michigan State University, 2004) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at Cleveland State University.

Ron Tamborini

Ron Tamborini (PhD, Indiana University, 1983) is a professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University.

Ed Glazer

Ed Glazer (MA, Michigan State University, 2004) is a graduate student in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University.

Sandi Smith

Sandi Smith (PhD, University of Southern California, 1986) is a professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University.