Story-Driven Insights: How Transitional Characters and Positive Role Models in Video Narratives Shape Outgroup Attitudes

This study presents results of a pre-registered online experiment (N = 927) examining the persuasive effects of professionally produced video narratives aimed at reducing anti-immigrant prejudice. Drawing on narrative persuasion and inspiring media frameworks, we tested how protagonist type—positive role model versus transitional character—shapes identification and activates psychological insight, a transformative cognitive response linked to attitude change. A 3 (character type: control or non-confrontation condition, transitional character, positive role model) × 3 (stereotype type: “immigration increases crime,” “immigrants take our jobs,” “immigrants receive excessive public assistance”) between-subjects design was employed. Participants viewed audiovisual narratives depicting a dramatized incident in which a negative stereotype about immigrants was introduced and either confronted by the protagonist or left unaddressed (non-confrontation condition). After exposure, identification, psychological insight, and outcome variables were measured. The results showed that modern racism moderated the effects of character type on identification: low-prejudice individuals identified more strongly with the positive role model, whereas high-prejudice individuals reported lower identification in both experimental conditions. Identification predicted psychological insight, which in turn mediated outcomes (story liking, willingness to share, and outgroup attitudes). These findings indicate that video narratives can elicit character-driven insight and foster inclusive attitudes among receptive audiences, advancing understanding of how entertainment-education can counter prejudice.