Dissertation
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENTERTAINMENT-EDUCATION: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAIN EFFECTS, THE PERSUASIVE PROCESSES, AND THE ROLE OF AMBIVALENCE
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/111861
Abstract
This dissertation has comprehensively examined entertainment education (EE) from three aspects. First, it compared the effects of EE with a traditional educational message in a laboratory. Second, it explored the underlying processes by which EE persuades viewers to adopt pro-social behaviors. Third, it investigated whether attitudinal ambivalence moderated the effects of EE.
A longitudinal experiment was conducted to address the three major goals. The results showed that EE had more persuasive effects on reducing behavioral intentions to eat junk food than the traditional education message. The experimental results also identified an important underlying process by which EE persuaded viewers to take pro-social actions. Results indicated identification with the main character was associated with greater self-efficacy to avoid eating junk food, which in turn predicted less behavioral intentions to eat junk food. The effect of identification on behavioral intentions was moderated by felt ambivalence, such that among those with high level of felt ambivalence, more identification with media characters would predict less intention to eat junk food. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the findings were discussed at the end of the dissertation.
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Details
- Title
- THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENTERTAINMENT-EDUCATION: TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAIN EFFECTS, THE PERSUASIVE PROCESSES, AND THE ROLE OF AMBIVALENCE
- Creators
- Weina Ran
- Contributors
- Stacey Hust (Advisor)Prabu David (Committee Member)Changmin Yan (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 132
- Identifiers
- 99900581533701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation