Dynamics of Persuasion in Response to Organ Donation Messages

• In Event: Media and Message Effects: High Density Panel in Health Communication

Abstract

Prior work demonstrated the ability to predict the time course of individuals' continuous ratings of anti-drug messages using individual characteristics and aspects of the arguments. This paper replicates this method using an alternative health behavior (pro-organ-donation) and set of related participant-level variables in order to elucidate how the dynamics of health-message processing are specific to topic versus general to the task of media-message processing. Using mathematical cognitive modeling, we predict the trajectory of self-reported persuasion effects in response to multi-argument “testimonials.” Self-reported responses were recorded continuously during message receipt. Preliminary data suggest a recency effect where messages were rated as more persuasive toward the end of the message when the strongest information was presented last, suggesting that the recency effect is a feature of the message-processing task. We also find that behavior-relevant attitudes impact the argument evaluation and integration. Implications for future research and message design are discussed.

Authors

• Amber L. Westcott-Baker, U of Maryland

• Josie Deanna Moore, University of Maryland

• Rebecca B. Speer, Denver Health