Interrupting a narrative transportation experience: Program placement effects on responses to antismoking advertising

Abstract

It is thought that "transportation" - absorption into the narrative flow of a story - may play a role in influencing resistance to persuasion. We hypothesized that advertising that disrupts the experience of narrative transportation may be adversely appraised by audiences. This study aimed to explore the influence of two types of television programs: narratives (dramas, comedies, and soap operas) versus nonnarratives (light entertainment, sports, documentaries, and news), on smokers' reactions to antismoking advertisements. In preexposure interviews, daily smokers (n = 779) were asked to watch a particular television program they usually watched. Postexposure interviews were conducted within..