Public Task Management: Persuasion in Public Communication

Public Task Management: Persuasion in Public Communication

We investigate how public communication can promote socially desirable behavior. Governmental and public organizations often invest considerable resources in campaigns that encourage behaviors such as energy saving, vaccination, preventive healthcare, reducing risky behavior (e.g., traffic safety), or charitable donations.

Our research examines the effectiveness of different information types and positioning strategies to influence individual behaviors (e.g., getting vaccinated, acting environmentally friendly, or donating). We test these approaches across various contexts.

Examples include:

• strategies for persuading vaccine skeptics,
• effects of psychological framing in environmental messaging,
• use of statistical vs. anecdotal information in donation appeals, and
• message framing.

Selected publications in this area include:

• Praxmarer-Carus, S.; Wolkenstörfer, S. (2018): Enhancing the Effectiveness of Narratives Among Vaccine-Skeptical Parents, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 46.
•  Gathen, C.; Praxmarer-Carus, S. (2020): Is Effort Required by a Green Product Always Negative? Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 48.
• Praxmarer-Carus, S.; Wolkenstörfer, S.; Dijkstra, A. (2021): Outcome presence and regulatory fit, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Vol. 21/2, pp. 310–327.