IMAGINE YOURSELF IN THE PRODUCT : Mental Simulation, Narrative Transportation, and Persuasion

Mental simulation has been defined as the cognitive construction of hypothetical scenarios, which are usually in the form of stories or narratives. The experiment in this paper examines the favorable effect of ad-encouraged mental simulation on ad attitudes and brand evaluations. A model is developed wherein mental simulation persuades via narrative transportation, defined as immersion into a story (Gerrig 1994; Green and Brock 2000). Transportation includes strong affective responses and low levels of critical thought, which, in turn, affect ad attitudes and brand evaluations.