Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of narrative communication in the applied field of road safety education. A narrative message about the risks of road accidents was compared to a message without elements of storytelling but with a focus on road safety statistics. Novice drivers’ evaluation of risk connected to speeding was assessed as the target attitude. Transportation, facilitation of comprehension, and para-social interaction with protagonists were proposed as mediators of the persuasive message impact. Gender was examined as a moderator of the narrativity–attitude relationship. Results of a field experiment (N = 125 driving school attendants) did not suggest the general superiority of narrative communication, but demonstrated a moderated indirect mediation: Transportation was found a relevant mediator of the narrativity–attitude relationship for female participants only. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
©2016 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin Boston