Nele Kadastik | Narrative persuasion in Prosocial Storytelling

Nele Kadastik | Narrative persuasion in Prosocial Storytelling | Radboud University, Faculty of Arts, Department of Language and Communication | Promotor: Prof. dr. Jos Hornikx | Supervisors: dr. Kobie van Krieken, dr. Sebastian Sadowski | April 2024 – April 2028 | nele.kadastik[at]ru.nl

My PhD project investigates the power of narratives and storytelling to effectively promote prosocial behaviors and actions that can benefit individuals, communities or society as a whole. More specifically, my research seeks to answer questions such as: ‘To what extent can immersive narratives influence prosocial attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors?’ and ‘Which narrative characteristics and processes drive the persuasive effects of immersive prosocial narratives?’.

With the growing body of work in narrative persuasion, it has been demonstrated that narratives can be particularly effective in changing people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors (Green and Brock, 2000; Busselle and Bilandzic, 2013). However, there is still limited research specifically investigating the possibilities and challenges of applying such narrative strategies for prosocial storytelling—stories designed to encourage prosocial behaviors, attitudes, and intentions. Moreover, while existing studies have explored attitudinal or intention-related outcomes (e.g., intention to donate, Hoeken & Hustinx, 2007), few address actual behavioral outcomes, such as donations of money or time, or delve into the underlying processes driving these impacts. Additionally, there is a gap in understanding the specific characteristics of narratives that can make them effective in promoting prosocial behaviors.

In this direction, I aim to explore and map the past, present, and future landscape of prosocial storytelling, to better  understand the opportunities, and challenges associated with applying narrative persuasion strategies in the prosocial domain. Building on this knowledge, I will design, implement, and test innovative approaches, including exploring the potential of novel and immersive technologies (e.g. interactive digital narratives, XR narratives). Lastly, by integrating empirical findings and theoretical insights, my work seeks to offer a valuable contribution and practical solutions that organizations and charities can use to more effectively engage potential donors and volunteers.

References

• Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721.
• Bilandzic, H., & Busselle, R. (2013). Narrative persuasion. In J. P. Dillard & L. Shen (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of persuasion: Developments in theory and practice (2nd ed., pp. 200–219). Sage Publications, Inc.
• Hoeken, H., & Hustinx, L. (2007). The impact of exemplars on responsibility stereotypes in fund-raising letters. Communication Research, 34(6), 596–617.