The role of cognitive absorption in the persuasiveness of multimedia messages

We propose cognitive absorption as a mental state that influences the processing of multimedia messages such as animations. An experiment was designed to assess (1) whether cognitive absorption is experienced when individuals view whiteboard animations; (2) the relationship between cognitive absorption and message elaboration; (3) the relationship between cognitive absorption and outcomes such as perceived argument strength, knowledge, and attitudes related to key concepts relevant to clinical trial participation. The study involved 927 cancer patients and survivors who were exposed to either whiteboard animations or brochures. Several interesting findings emerged. First, individuals experienced greater cognitive absorption while viewing the animations than when reading brochures. Second, cognitive absorption was associated with a systematic elaboration of the information provided by the animations. Third, cognitive absorption mediated the effect the animations had on individuals’ perceived argument strength and attitudes, but not knowledge. Theoretical explanations for the educational and persuasive effects of animations are provided.