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Abstract
Narratives are a persuasive platform that evokes processing distinct from other message formats. Story-ending valence is a component common to all stories and can influence how individuals respond to and are persuaded by the story. The current work examines how ending valence of a cautionary story, a popular type of narrative that delivers a warning to the audience, influences story-consistent beliefs through a process of global reflection or understanding of the overall story message. Across three studies, we find a positive story ending enhances reflection on the message meaning and, subsequently, enhances story-consistent beliefs.