Examining narrative transportation to anti-alcohol narratives

Abstract

This study examined the transportation effects of alcohol consequence narratives varying in source (written by the narrative protagonist vs. protagonist’s partner) and type of heath consequence (physical or emotional). Additionally, this study examined the role of narrative transportation and cognitive and discrete affective responses in the persuasion process. In this study, 501 students of a large northern university in the United Kingdom participated and were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions of narratives about alcohol use. Transportation was operationalized as general and self-reflective transportation. Results demonstrated that for narratives written by protagonist, the emotional effect narrative resulted in greater general transportation than the physical effect narrative. However, for narratives written by the protagonist’s partner, the physical effect narrative resulted in greater general transportation than the emotional effect narrative. These findings were not substantiated for self-reflective transportation. Finally, results suggest that transportation experienced by anti-alcohol narratives can influence both favourable cognitive response and guilt, which are significant mediators in alcohol-related expectancies. Important theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.

• Alcohol use
• cognitive responses
• narrative source
• transportation

Notes

1. General transportation included the following items: “While I was reading the story, I could easily picture the events in it taking place”, “While I was reading the story, I found myself distracted”, “After finishing the story, I found it easy to put it out of my mind”, “I wanted to learn what is going on in Matthew’s life now” and “I found my mind wandering while reading the story”. Self-reflective transportation included the following items: “I could picture myself in the scene of the events described in the story”, “The events in the story are relevant to my everyday life” and “The events in the story have changed my life”.