Introduction:

This article presents the results of an experimental study that sought to contrast the effect of the entertainment education message (written versus audiovisual) on the cognitive processes of reception, as a function of the need for cognition.

Method:

109 MSM participated, randomly distributed, in two experimental conditions (written versus audiovisual message).

Results:

We found that the need for cognition moderated the effect of message modality on cognitive elaboration and in contra-argumentation, but not on reactance. Data shows that written message increased cognitive elaboration in participants with low need for cognition and generated less contra-argumentation in participants with a higher need for cognition.

Conclusions:

The effectiveness of an entertainment-education message is determined by both the characteristics of the message (the modality of presentation) and the individual differences of people (the need for cognition). In particular, the need for cognition is a relevant variable for understanding the cognitive processes of reception (cognitive elaboration and contra-argumentation) that play a fundamental role in the study of narrative persuasion.

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