This study examines the use of narrative persuasion in promoting human papillomavirus vaccination. Compared to non-narrative message, the narrative message increased perceived severity of human papillomavirus, which influenced vaccination intention through heightened fear. The narrative message also dampened hope and subsequently decreased vaccination intention. This research attests to the effectiveness of narrative persuasion in vaccination promotion, but also offers important caveat for message design—egocentric efficacy information is crucial in narrative persuasion designed to motivate preventive health behaviors.
AjzenI (1991) The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes50: 179–211.
2.
BrayFFerlayJSoerjomataramI, et al. (2018) Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians68: 394–424.
3.
ChadwickAE (2015) Toward a theory of persuasive hope: Effects of cognitive appraisals, hope appeals, and hope in the context of climate change. Health Communication30: 598–611.
4.
FrankLBMurphySTChatterjeeJS, et al. (2015) Telling stories, saving lives: Creating narrative health messages. Health Communication30: 154–163.
5.
FrijdaNH (1986) The Emotions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6.
GallagherKELaMontagneDSWatson-JonesD (2018) Status of HPV vaccine introduction and barriers to country uptake. Vaccine36: 4761–4767.
7.
GreenMC (2006) Narratives and cancer communication. Journal of Communication56: 163–183.
8.
GreenMCBrockTCKaufmanGF (2004) Understanding media enjoyment: The role of transportation into narrative worlds. Communication Theory14: 311–327.
9.
HoekenHSinkeldamJ (2014) The role of identification and perception of just outcome in evoking emotions in narrative persuasion. Journal of Communication64: 935–955.
10.
HopkinsTGWoodN (2013) Female human papillomavirus (HPV)vaccination: Global uptake and the impact of attitudes. Vaccine31: 1673–1679.
11.
IBM Corp (2016) IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.
12.
JiangXTangHChenT (2017) Epidemiology of gynecologic cancers in China. Journal of Gynecologic Oncology29: e7.
13.
KreuterMWGreenMCCappellaJN, et al. (2007) Narrative communication in cancer prevention and control: A framework to guide research and application. Annals of Behavioral Medicine33: 221–235.
14.
LazarusRS (1991) Emotion and Adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.
15.
LazarusRS (1999) Hope: An emotion and a vital coping resource against despair. Social Research66: 653–678.
16.
LazarusRS (2001) Relational meaning and discrete emotions. In: ShererKRSchorrAJohnstoneT (eds) Appraisal Processes in Emotion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 37–67.
17.
LeventhalH (1970) Findings and theory in the study of fear communications. In BerkowitzL (ed.) Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. New York: Academic Press, pp. 119–186.
18.
LiuSYangJZChuH, et al. (2018) Different culture or different mind? Perception and acceptance of HPV vaccine in China and in the US. Journal of Health Communication23: 1008–1016.
19.
McQueenAKreuterMWKalesanB, et al. (2011) Understanding narrative effects: The impact of breast cancer survivor stories on message processing, attitudes, and beliefs among African American women. Health Psychology30: 674–682.
20.
Moyer-GuséE (2008) Toward a theory of entertainment persuasion: Explaining the persuasive effects of entertainment-education messages. Communication Theory18: 407–425.
21.
Moyer-GuséENabiRL (2011) Comparing the effects of entertainment and educational television programming on risky sexual behavior. Health Communication26: 416–426.
22.
MurphySTFrankLBChatterjeeJS, et al. (2013) Narrative versus nonnarrative: The role of identification, transportation, and emotion in reducing health disparities. Journal of Communication63: 116–137.
NabiRL (1999) A cognitive-functional model for the effects of discrete negative emotions on information processing, attitude change, and recall. Communication Theory9: 292–320.
25.
NabiRL (2002) Discrete emotions and persuasion. In DillardJPfauM (eds) The Persuasion Handbook: Developments in Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, pp. 289–308.
26.
NabiRLMyrickJG (2018) Uplifting fear appeals: Considering the role of hope in fear-based persuasive messages. Health Communication34: 1–12.
27.
NanXDahlstromMFRichardsA, et al. (2015) Influence of evidence type and narrative type on HPV risk perception and intention to obtain the HPV vaccine. Health Communication30: 301–308.
O’KeefeDJNanX (2012) The relative persuasiveness of gain-and loss-framed messages for promoting vaccination: A meta-analytic review. Health Communication27: 776–783.
30.
RothmanAJMartinoSCBedellBT, et al. (1999) The systematic influence of gain-and loss-framed messages on interest in and use of different types of health behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin25: 1355–1369.
31.
SchererKR (1984) On the nature and function of emotion: A component process approach. In: SchererKREkmanP (eds) Approaches to Emotion. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 292–317.
32.
ShenFSheerVCLiR (2015) Impact of narratives on persuasion in health communication: A meta-analysis. Journal of Advertising44: 105–113.
33.
SlaterMDRounerD (2002) Entertainment—Education and elaboration likelihood: Understanding the processing of narrative persuasion. Communication Theory12: 173–191.
34.
SnyderCR (2000) Hypothesis: There is hope. In SnyderCR (eds) Handbook of Hope. New York: Academic Press, pp. 3–21.
YangJZPittmanMM (2017) The silver lining of shame: Framing HPV to influence vaccination intentions. Health Communication32: 987–994.
44.
ZebregsSvan den PutteBNeijensP, et al. (2015) The differential impact of statistical and narrative evidence on beliefs, attitude, and intention: A meta-analysis. Health Communication30: 282–289.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
