AbstractsCommunication

The model of interactive narrative effects was developed in order to expand upon and enhance previous theories of interactive narrative effects. This was accomplished by synthesizing Green and Jenkins’ (2014) model of interactivity effects with elements of Sundar and colleagues’ (2015) theory of interactive media effects, with the aim of expanding Green and Jenkins’ definition of interactivity and disentangling the presence of an interactivity feature from the various psychological experiences and perceptions of interactivity. Two studies were then conducted to test the propositions of the newly developed model within the context of skin cancer and the Health Belief Model. The first study examined the impact of source interactivity and sourcefulness, while the other examined the impact of message interactivity and perceived contingency. The studies largely supported the MINE’s propositions regarding the relationships between interactivity features, perceptions of interactivity, and narrative mediating variables, such as story engagement. Both studies also saw impacts on health beliefs, with perceived benefits and severity being influenced across both studies. The implications of these results for narrative research, interactive media research, and health communication research are discussed. Advisors/Committee Members: Fox, Jesse (Advisor).