How to Improve Attitudes Toward Disliked Groups: The Effects of Narrative Versus Numerical Evidence on Political Persuasion

摘要: We propose a model of how messages about groups one personally dislikes affect individual attitudes. build upon theories message persuasion and out-group acceptance to account for evidence type (numerical vs. narrative), facilitating conditions (encouraging empathy objectivity), the underlying mechanisms (immersion). test this in pretest-posttest experiment, which sample Americans (N = 601) read counter-attitudinal commentaries below articles presenting either narrative or numerical illegal immigrants same-sex couples. Narratives led greater immersion, especially empathetic condition. In turn, self-perceived attitude change objective Persuasive effects narratives empathetic, but not objective, condition were mediated by immersion.