Research Challenges: Research challenges in narrative persuasion

Stories are often associated with entertainment, but they can also be used to convey serious information ranging from company policies to heath advice. Stories “consist of a sequence of thematically and temporally related end. This structure has many advantages, including the fact that individuals easily understand stories and learn from stories starting at a young age. Some psychologists have even argued that thought is fundamentally narrative in form (Schank & Abelson, 1995). This article will describe a theory of how narratives and stories can have persuasive effects – the idea that individuals can become transported into a narrative world, and as a result, integrate story information into their realworld belief structures (Green & Brock, 2000). It will then explore key research questions in narrative persuasion, provide suggestions for the effective use of narrative messages, and highlight issues in using narratives across media (text, audio, film, virtual reality).