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Suspension of Disbelief as a Mechanism of Narrative Persuasion

Sun, May 28, 14:00 to 15:15, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Floor: 2, Indigo 204B

Abstract

This paper outlines a revised conceptualization of suspension of disbelief (SOD) as tolerance toward perceived inconsistencies while processing a narrative. It then explores the role of SOD in narrative persuasion through an experiment manipulating SOD by varying a narrative’s coherence (coherent vs. peripherally incoherent vs. centrally incoherent narrative). The experiment provides evidence of two curvilinear relationships: an inverted U-shaped relationship between coherence and SOD, and a U-shaped relationship between SOD and the story consistency of beliefs. Mediation analyses show that SOD affects the story consistency of beliefs over and above the effect of narrative engagement. Thus, SOD complements the dominant explanations of narrative persuasion.

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