Department of Communication, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
Department of Communication Studies, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
J Health Commun. 2023 Nov 2;28(11):728-738. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2263745.
When advocating for a behavior, persuasive messaging typically focuses on the context that behavior is performed in, such as mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, situating the advocated behavior in a different context, termed an incongruent context appeal, may persuade by increasing attention, novelty, and memorability. The current study tested this supposition in a message experiment. Participants ( = 324) were randomized to view an incongruent context (e.g. skiing) or a congruent context (i.e. COVID-19) appeal advocating for mask wearing. The incongruence appeal had a direct, positive effect on mask wearing intentions and indirect, positive effects via two serial mediation pathways: time spent with the message increased attention through novelty and memorability. Findings suggest that an incongruent context appeal is an effective strategy for persuading audiences in information-saturated environments like the COVID-19 pandemic.
当倡导某种行为时，有说服力的信息通常侧重于该行为所处的背景，例如在 COVID-19 大流行期间戴口罩。然而，将所倡导的行为置于不同的背景下，即所谓的不一致背景诉求，可能会通过提高注意力、新颖性和可记性来促使人们接受。本研究在一个信息实验中检验了这一假设。参与者（n=324）被随机分配观看不一致的背景（例如滑雪）或一致的背景（即 COVID-19）呼吁戴口罩。不一致的诉求对戴口罩的意愿有直接的积极影响，通过两条串行中介途径产生间接的积极影响：信息的新颖性和可记性增加了受众的注意力。研究结果表明，在 COVID-19 等信息饱和的环境中，不一致的背景诉求是一种有效的说服受众的策略。
