Juan Jose Igartua
Juan-José Igartua (PhD in Social Psychology, 1996) is a (Full) Professor of Media Psychology at the University of Salamanca (Spain). His research focuses on the analysis of media effects and, in particular, entertainment media theory, narrative persuasion, analysis of socio-cognitive effects of news frames, health communication, and media and immigration. He has published research articles in prestigious peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Communication, Communications-The European Journal of Communication Research, Journal of Media Psychology, Journal of Health Communication, International Journal of Communication, and International Journal of Psychology, among others.
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collaborate with an NGO that provides support to immigrants. With this goal in mind, an experimental study (N = 500) was conducted using a 2 × 2 factorial design, where the factors analyzed were similarity in terms of social identity (high vs. low) and narrative voice (first-person vs. third-person). No interaction effects of similarity and narrative voice on
identification or transportation were observed. However, multiple serial mediation analyses were statistically significant. A significant indirect effect of similarity on dependent variables was observed through perceived similarity (primary mediator), identification and transportation (secondary mediators), and counterarguing and reactance (tertiary mediators).
Similarly, the narrative voice also had a significant indirect effect on the dependent variables that was explained by the increase in identification and transportation, and by the reduction in counterarguing and reactance. This work improves the understanding of the mechanisms that explain the impact of narratives and demonstrates that certain narrative elements can increase the effectiveness of audiovisual testimonial messages designed for the prevention of racism and xenophobia.
perspective, increases social presence of the protagonist, but not identification with the protagonist, when the story depicted an outgroup character. This increase in social presence mediates the effect of narrative perspective on support for outgroup policies. Study 2 (N = 410) further suggests that social presence mediates the effect of narrative perspective
regardless of the protagonist’s group membership (in-group versus out-group). Furthermore, this project evaluates the role of social presence in light of other, often-studied processes such as identification and transportation. These findings advance the theorizing and research in narrative research and in media psychology more broadly.
mensaje en la identificación con el protagonista y en las actitudes hacia la inmigración. Para ello se llevó a cabo una investigación experimental en la que participaron 90 estudiantes de universidad. Como estímulos experimentales se utilizaron narraciones cortas escritas en primera persona que relataban la experiencia migratoria de un
inmigrante estigmatizado. Los participantes fueron asignados aleatoriamente a dos condiciones experimentales diseñadas en función de cómo aparecía caracterizado el protagonista de la narración. Los resultados mostraron que la similitud influía positivamente en la identificación con el protagonista lo que se asociaba, a su vez, a actitudes
más favorables hacia la inmigración. La investigación realizada abre una línea de estudio sobre los factores vinculados con la construcción de los personajes y de los mensajes narrativos, y su incidencia en procesos de
recepción (identificación, enganche narrativo), e indirectamente, en variables vinculadas con el cambio social y la promoción de la tolerancia.
The main theoretical models of narrative persuasion (Moyer-Gusé, 2008) have identified several psychological processes responsible for the impact of narrative messages on attitudes and behaviours, highlighting the role of identification with the protagonist because it reduces “resistance” toward the persuasive message through decreasing “critical” cognitive processing (lowering counterarguing and reactance). Given that identification is a relevant process in narrative health communication, current research is focused on figuring out how to increase this process. The present study focuses on the impact of two factors: audience-character similarity and narrative voice.
Similarity describes a process through which the individual exposed to a narrative shares certain traits with the protagonist. Given that the empirical evidence on the effect of similarity shows inconsistent results (Tukachinsky, 2014), we propose that it is possible that similarity influences identification only in certain conditions, depending on other characteristics of the message (Kim, 2019), like narrative voice. Narrative voice or point of view refers to the perspective adopted by the narrator and from which the story is told. Neuropsychological research has shown that first-person (versus third-person) narratives are processed in a neurological different way (Van Krieken, Hoeken & Sanders, 2017).
Our study establishes the concept of “optimal reception condition” and analyses the “joint effect” of audience-character similarity and narrative voice. Because first-person voice could facilitate that the audience of the message takes more easily the perspective of the character when audience-character similarity is high, it was hypothesized (H1) that the combination of reading a first-person narrative whose protagonist shows a high similarity with the audience will induce the highest levels of identification. Secondly (H2), this research tests a serial mediator model, in order to contrast the indirect effect of the optimal reception condition on the intention to quit smoking, perceived self-efficacy and response efficacy, through identification (as primary mediator) and counterarguing and reactance (as a secondary mediators).
To test our predictions, an online experiment was carried out with QUALTRICS, accessing to a sample of 680 (Spanish) smokers between 18 and 55 years old (50% female). Participants were exposed to a narrative message featuring an adult smoker (a 35-year-old man) who related his experience in the process of quitting smoking. Narrative voice (first versus third-person) and behavioural similarity (high versus low) were experimentally manipulated in the message.
The results showed that the optimal reception condition induced the highest levels of identification with the protagonist. In addition, we observed statistically significant indirect effects of the optimal reception condition on intention to quit smoking, perceived self-efficacy and response efficacy through identification that, in turn, reduced reactance. In conclusion, this research provides empirical evidence on how to improve smoking prevention interventions aimed at adults.
Narrative persuasion models suggest that transportation and identification with the protagonist are two relevant mechanisms through which narratives produce their impact because both processes reduce counterarguing (Green & Brock, 2000; Moyer-Gusé, 2008). However, previous empirical evidence on the mediating role of counterarguing is not conclusive. Because transportation and identification facilitate persuasion, it is important to know how to increase both processes (Tal-Or & Cohen, 2016). The present study focuses on two factors: similarity between the protagonist of the message and the recipient, and empathy. It is hypothesized that the joint effect of “training” empathy before reading a high-similarity narrative will increase identification and narrative transportation (as compared to the control condition). Secondly, this research tests the indirect effect of the experimental condition that combines empathy with exposure to a high-similarity narrative on the reduction of perceived threat toward immigrants, through identification and transportation (primary mediators) and counterarguing (secondary mediator).
In order to contrast our predictions, two experiments were carried out via Qualtrics opt-in on line panels in Spain (N = 383) and the Netherlands (N = 416). We employed a two (empathy versus no empathy instructions) by two (low versus high similarity) factorial design. Both experiments used as stimuli short testimonial messages delivered by a stigmatized immigrant of different origins (a Moroccan immigrant in Spain and a Turkish one in the Netherlands).
The results showed that the condition that combined empathy with reading a high-similarity narrative induced the highest levels of identification and narrative transportation. In the mediation analysis, a significant indirect effect was observed on perceived threat toward immigrants through identification and counter-argumentation. However, transportation did not act as a significant mediator. Our work improves our understanding of the mechanisms that explains the impact of testimonial messages. Ultimately, both studies suggest that testimonial messages can be effective narrative tools to reduce perceived threat toward stigmatized immigrants.
contact (versus control instructions) before reading a first-person testimonial presenting an immigrant as similar or dissimilar. The optimal reception condition induced greater identification and narrative transportation than the reference condition, in turn leading to more
positive attitudes, a higher intention of inter-group contact, and a greater desire to share the message. The findings are discussed in the context of research on narrative persuasion and prejudice reduction.
Método. Se realizaron dos experimentos en España (Estudio 1) y Países Bajos (Estudio 2). El diseño de ambos experimentos y el trabajo de campo se realizó con QUALTRICS, accediéndose a un panel de 400 personas de origen español (Estudio 1) y holandés (Estudio 2), y cuyos progenitores también eran de origen nacional. Se fijaron cuotas de sexo y edad para acceder a una muestra representativa de la población en cada país (Estudio 1: 50% mujeres, media de edad de 40.41 años, DE = 12.16; Estudio 2: 50.3% mujeres, media de edad de 40.96 años, DE = 11.11). En ambos experimentos se utilizó un diseño factorial 2 x 2, de modo que los participantes recibieron instrucciones de contacto intergrupal imaginado (versus instrucciones de control) inmediatamente antes de leer una narración en primera persona protagonizada por un inmigrante (marroquí en España y polaco en Países Bajos) con alta o baja similitud en términos de identidad social con los participantes.
Resultados. Para efectuar el contraste de hipótesis se utilizó el ANOVA y la macro PROCESS para SPSS. En ambos experimentos se comprobó que la condición óptima de recepción inducía una mayor identificación y transporte narrativo que la condición de referencia, lo que provocaba a su vez actitudes más positivas hacia la inmigración, una mayor intención de contacto intergrupal y un mayor deseo de compartir el mensaje través de las redes sociales.
Conclusiones. El presente trabajo contribuye a la mejora de la comprensión de los mecanismos que explican el impacto de los mensajes narrativos en las personas y aporta información para el diseño de campañas para la reducción del prejuicio.