Persuasive communication and spatial presence: a systematic literature review and conceptual model

Abstract

Immersive media forms that can elicit high levels of spatial presence have become popular tools for persuasive communicators. While the research community agrees that immersive persuasive messages should be especially effective, there is less consensus concerning the underlying psychological mechanism. Consequently, it seems necessary to systematize and consolidate the research field. This systematic literature review therefore analyzes 108 empirical articles and identifies four major research strands that focus on (1) affect and emotion, (2) altered perception and storage, (3) depth of processing, and the (4) valence of cognitions. The divergent assumptions are ultimately brought together in a conceptual four-step model of persuasion by spatial presence. Potential inhibitors of persuasion are furthermore discussed and included in the model.