Narrative Persuasion

Title: Narrative Persuasion

Abstract: We study how one person may shape how another interprets objective information. They do this by proposing a sense-making explanation (or narrative). Using a theory-driven experiment, we investigate the mechanics of such narrative persuasion and document four main findings. First, narratives are persuasive: We find that they systematically shift beliefs. Second, narrative fit (coherence with the facts) is a key determinant of persuasiveness. Third, this fit-heuristic is anticipated by narrative-senders, who systematically tailor their narratives to the facts. Fourth, the features of a competing narrative predictably influence both narrative construction and adoption. We also present results that reveal how individuals update their beliefs in response to narratives, and we investigate the limits of narrative persuasion.