HOW DO CONVERSION NARRATIVES AFFECT ATTITUDES AND INTENTIONS TO SUPPORT ORGAN DONATIONS?

Abstract

Despite the urgent need for organ donors, misinformation and ethical concerns often deter individuals from registering. As a result, public health campaigns often aim to address these concerns through various messaging strategies such as conversion narratives, which are defined as stories that depict an attitude shift to foster positive attitudes toward organ donation and motivate individuals to support the cause and take actions. While conversion narratives have been used as a persuasive strategy in health and science communication, limited research explores the psychological mechanisms driving their effectiveness. Drawing from theories of narrative engagement and dual-process frameworks, this study examines how narrative structure and message-sidedness in conversion narratives influence attitudes and behavioral intentions toward organ donation. Employing a 2 (message type: narrative vs. non-narrative) × 2 (message sidedness: conversion vs. non-conversion) + 1 (control) between-subjects online experiment, this study investigates the mediating roles of identification, transportation, perceived persuasive intent and cognitive elaboration. It also explores how individual levels of hesitancy moderate the effect of conversion on elaboration. Results indicated that narratives fostered more positive attitudes and increased intentions to support organ donations, primarily through the mediating effects of transportation and counterarguing. The study also revealed no significant mediation effects involving identification, persuasive intent, elaboration and hesitancy as a moderator on attitudes and behavioral intentions. Further exploratory analyses were conducted to examine additional potential relationships and the moderating roles of hesitancy, and involvement. These findings contribute to our understanding of narrative persuasion and message-sidedness while offering practical guidance for public health professionals designing campaigns around controversial health issues.

Keywords: Conversion Narratives, Narrative, Two-sided Messages, Organ Donation.