Narrative and non-narrative persuasion, confirmation bias and presentation order in online media: Understanding the effectiveness of disconfirmation messages

Abstract

Integrating the theories of confirmation bias, narrative persuasion, and presentation order, this study examines how the format of disconfirmation and confirmation messages and the presentation order of these messages in online media change the opinions of individuals who initially supported in-person classes for Fall 2020. A 2 (confirmation message: narrative vs. non-narrative) × 2 (disconfirmation message: narrative vs. non-narrative) × 2 (order: disconfirmation message first vs. second) between-subjects online experiment found that delivering a disconfirmation message after a confirmation message was more effective in eliciting attitude and belief change than delivering it prior to a confirmation message. Moreover, such a recency effect was more pronounced when the disconfirmation message was non-narrative, and the confirmation message was in a narrative format. The theoretical and practical implications for message design and placement in a competitive information environment were discussed.