A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Influence of text cohesion on the persuasive power of expository text
Authors: Kaakinen JK, Salonen J, Venalainen P, Hyona J
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL
Publication year: 2011
Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
Journal name in source: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY
Journal acronym: SCAND J PSYCHOL
Number in series: 3
Volume: 52
Issue: 3
First page : 201
Last page: 208
Number of pages: 8
ISSN: 0036-5564
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00863.x
Abstract
The present study examined how global text cohesion affects persuasion and memory for message arguments presented in expository text. Sixty-nine participants who held a neutral prior attitude towards NATO read a persuasive text about NATO that was either high or low in global cohesion. After reading, participants voted whether Finland should seek NATO membership and filled in an attitude questionnaire. After a 1-week delay they returned for a surprise recall task. The results showed that the high cohesion text was more persuasive than the low cohesion text. Moreover, attitude after reading but not text cohesion predicted later recall of the message arguments. The results show that global text cohesion increases text's persuasive power and that readers who form a positive attitude have better memory of the persuasive arguments after a delay than readers who are less persuaded.
The present study examined how global text cohesion affects persuasion and memory for message arguments presented in expository text. Sixty-nine participants who held a neutral prior attitude towards NATO read a persuasive text about NATO that was either high or low in global cohesion. After reading, participants voted whether Finland should seek NATO membership and filled in an attitude questionnaire. After a 1-week delay they returned for a surprise recall task. The results showed that the high cohesion text was more persuasive than the low cohesion text. Moreover, attitude after reading but not text cohesion predicted later recall of the message arguments. The results show that global text cohesion increases text's persuasive power and that readers who form a positive attitude have better memory of the persuasive arguments after a delay than readers who are less persuaded.
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