Narrative Styles and Narratology Formats in PSAs: Assessing the Effects on Arousal, Attention, and Memory

Kimberly Baker 1, Fei Qiao 2 * , Shuhua Zhou 3
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1 Department of Communication, Alabama State University, USA
2 School of Journalism and Communication, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, CHINA
3 School of Journalism, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 9, Issue 4, Article No: e201925. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/5948
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ABSTRACT

The following study aims to advance knowledge about the effects of narration and point-of-view formats on attention, arousal, and recall for persuasive messages relayed in public service announcements (PSAs). The experiment combines two frameworks, narratology and valence, to expose subjects to 12 different PSAs concerning the topic of animal abuse. Both psychophysiological data and self-report measures were analyzed to determine if three formats of narratology regarding point-of-view (no vocal POV vs. first-person vs. third-person) with two valences (positive vs. negative) have an effect on arousal, as indicated by skin conductance; attention, as indicated by heart rate and memory, and recall as indicated by a posttest unaided recall. The findings contribute toward understanding the emotional and cognitive effects that stimuli have on arousal, attention, and memory.
Keywords: arousal, narrative, PSA, psychophysiological, recall, transportation

CITATION

Baker, K., Qiao, F., & Zhou, S. (2019). Narrative Styles and Narratology Formats in PSAs: Assessing the Effects on Arousal, Attention, and Memory. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 9(4), e201925. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/5948

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