Individual Differences in Persuasive Message Processing

• In Event: Brains, Bodies, and Health Communication

Abstract

We have recently shown that the neural activity in specific brain regions from a small group of participants can be used to reliably predict behavior in independent samples, and moreover, that the predictive utility of activity in some of these regions depends upon characteristics of receivers, including drug use risk. Here, we explore the role of individual differences further by examining how the similarity of patterns of brain activity while viewing anti-drug advertisements is related to a number of individual difference dimensions, including sensation seeking and idiosyncratic reactions to each advertisement. We find consistent patterns of interrelationship between certain factors and brain activity that delineate several groups of brain regions. Our results suggest that this approach can be used to fractionate along at least three axes: individual participants, brain regions, and advertisements. Further work in this vein holds the promise of improving efforts at out-of-sample prediction and message tailoring.

Authors

• Benjamin Turner, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University

• Richard Huskey, The Ohio State University

• Rene Weber, U of California - Santa Barbara