Using first-person narratives about healthcare workers and people who are incarcerated to motivate helping behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mary E Andrews; Bradley D Mattan; Keana Richards; Samantha L Moore-Berg; Emily B Falk

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114870

Using first-person narratives about healthcare workers and people who are incarcerated to motivate helping behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Soc Sci Med. 2022 Apr:299:114870. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114870. Epub 2022 Mar 9.

Authors

Mary E Andrews¹, Bradley D Mattan², Keana Richards³, Samantha L Moore-Berg⁴, Emily B Falk⁵

Affiliations

¹ Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. Electronic address: mary.andrews@asc.upenn.edu.
² Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
⁴ Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Beyond Conflict, 198 Tremont Street, Suite 453, Boston, MA, 02116, USA.
⁵ Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA; Wharton Marketing Department, University of Pennsylvania, 3730 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. Electronic address: emily.falk@asc.upenn.edu.

Abstract

Rational: Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic requires large-scale cooperation and behavior change on an unprecedented scale. Individuals can help reduce the burden of the pandemic by participating in behaviors that benefit people whose life circumstances make them especially vulnerable.

Objective: We tested the effect of reading narrative (i.e., story-like) as opposed to expository (i.e., factual recounting) messages on beliefs about protecting others in groups vulnerable during the pandemic through increased message transportation (i.e. immersing the reader into the story). Additionally, we examined if reading narratives, as opposed to expository messages, increased intentions to engage in prosocial behaviors that benefit these groups through increased transportation.

Methods: The study used a between-subjects design where participants either read narrative or expository messages about the experiences of people who were at greater exposure to SARS-CoV-2 due to social and political factors, namely people who were incarcerated or working in healthcare during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: In line with pre-registered hypotheses, participants in the narrative (vs. expository) condition reported greater transportation into the message. We also observed indirect effects of narrative (vs. expository) messages, through increased message transportation, on: (1) beliefs that by physical distancing, one can protect vulnerable people (2) beliefs that members of the target groups (i.e., healthcare workers and people who are incarcerated), were vulnerable during the pandemic, (3) intentions to engage in prosocial behaviors that help family and friends, and (4) intentions to engage in prosocial behaviors that help members of vulnerable groups.

Conclusion: Together these results suggest that narratives can be used to motivate prosocial action during the COVID-19 pandemic to the extent that the narratives elicit transportation.

Keywords: Health disparities; Healthcare practitioner; Message effects; Narrative transportation; Pandemic; Persuasion; Prisoner; Prosocial.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Health Personnel
Helping Behavior
Humans
Pandemics
Prisoners*
SARS-CoV-2