Impact of Narratives on Persuasion in Health Communication: A Meta-Analysis

Copyright © 2015, American Academy of Advertising. This meta-analysis assessed the persuasive effects of narratives in health communication. A search of the literature identified 25 studies (N = 9,330) that examined the effects of narratives on persuasion as measured by changes in attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Analyses of the effect sizes indicated that, overall, narratives had a small impact on persuasion (r =.063, p <.01). Narratives delivered via audio and video produced significant effects; print-based narratives, however, did not exhibit a significant impact. Further, not all health issues were equally affected by narrative messages aiming at intervention. Those narratives that advocated…