Understanding Intention Triggers in Early Autism Screening Promotion: The Role of Narrative and Framing

The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (autism) is rising rapidly. Given the importance of early screening and intervention, we conducted a randomized experiment to examine the persuasive effects of message type (narrative vs. statistical) and framing (gain vs. loss) on intentions for early autism screening and information-seeking, using a 2 × 2 factorial design with a no-message control group. Results showed that statistical messages triggered higher behavioral intentions for early autism screening than narrative messages, while narrative messages generated higher information-seeking intention. However, there were no significant differences between narrative and statistical messages for long-term effects. Significant interactions between type and framing were observed for hope, sympathy, and sadness. Furthermore, there is a significant interaction between type and parenthood on perceived susceptibility. Regarding the mechanisms, the effect of message type was mediated by transportation and counterarguing in a serial model. Additionally, only sympathy was a predictor of intention. This study extends the literature on narrative persuasion by examining its application across different topics, discrete emotions, and psychological distance.