title: Modulating the neural bases of persuasion: why/how, gain/loss, and users/non-users.
abstract: Designing persuasive content is challenging, in part because people can be poor predictors of their actions. Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activation during message exposure reliably predicts downstream behavior, but past work has been largely atheoretical. We replicated past results on this relationship and tested two additional framing effects known to alter message receptivity. First, we examined gain- vs. loss-framed reasons for a health behavior (sunscreen use). Consistent with predictions from prospect theory, we observed greater MPFC activity to gain- vs. loss-framed messages, and this activity was associated with behavior. This relationship was stronger for those who were not previously sunscreen users. Second, building on theories of action planning, we compared neural activity during messages regarding how vs. why to enact the behavior. We observed rostral inferior parietal lobule and posterior inferior frontal gyrus activity during action planning ("how" messages), and this activity was associated with behavior; this is in contrast to the relationship between MPFC activity during the "why" (i.e., gain and loss) messages and behavior. These results reinforce that persuasion occurs in part via self-value integration-seeing value and incorporating persuasive messages into one's self-concept-and extend this work to demonstrate how message framing and action planning may influence this process.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: I Stephanie
authors: IS
authors: Vezich
authors: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Perri L
authors: PL
authors: Katzman
authors: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Daniel L
authors: DL
authors: Ames
authors: Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors: Emily B
authors: EB
authors: Falk
authors: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors: Matthew D
authors: MD
authors: Lieberman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents
keywords: MPFC; action planning; fMRI; message framing; persuasion