Impact of an Alcohol Poisoning Storyline in a Fictional Television Program: An Experimental Study With a Live-to-Air Stimulus

Storylines in fictional television programs may be an effective medium for health-promoting messages. This randomized pretest-posttest (N = 111) with follow-up (n = 71) study examined the persuasive impact of an alcohol poisoning story in the program ER on viewers' drinking-related beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behavior. The perception of persuasive intent is theorized to be a key factor influencing a narrative's impact; therefore, this study also examined the influence of perceived persuasive intent on viewing outcomes. Viewing group participants were asked to view a specific upcoming episode of ER when it was first scheduled to air on national television in New Zealand. The results suggest that the alcohol poisoning story had a beneficial impact on viewers' drinking-related beliefs, attitudes, and intentions. Perceived persuasive intent was not a significant predictor of viewing outcomes. This study is the first randomized experiment that has used a live-to-air stimulus to examine the impact of a health-promoting storyline in a fictional television program that has been created and broadcast in a developed nation. The significant effects found at post-viewing and follow-up provide further empirical support to the existing experimental literature, with enhanced ecological validity, for the potential positive impact of health-promoting storylines in fictional television programs.