Understanding How Message Receivers' Communication Goals are Applied in Online Persuasion

摘要

Prior research demonstrated that message receivers' primary and secondary communication goals are important predictors of their evaluation of online persuasive messages. The present study was undertaken to illuminate the process by which these communication goals are applied in response to received messages. The findings demonstrate that communication goals are applied immediately upon viewing even a simple message directory listing containing subject, sender, and date information. Once activated, communication goals significantly predict intention to comply with a message request, although predictiveness increases substantially when the complete message is read. Further analysis suggests that message receivers' communication goals can offer rich explanations of the cognitive processes that are used to evaluate online persuasive messages.