Sequence of green messages influences emotional impact and persuasion
Researchers at Pusan National University and partners examined how the order of sustainability messages affects persuasion. Using EEG and behavioral experiments, they found that presenting a negative message followed by a positive one generates stronger persuasive effects than positive messages alone. The study proposes a stage-based framework for understanding emotional arousal and valence in green communication.
The research combined neural and behavioral methods across two studies. In the first, a 64-channel EEG experiment tracked brain activity as participants encountered messages about environmental degradation followed by green solutions, revealing heightened attention and sustained neural engagement. The second study used behavioral measures to show this sequence produced a positive shift in emotional valence, which increased pro-environmental behavioral intentions. The researchers distinguished between arousal, which facilitates early attention and message processing, and valence, which drives later judgment and intention formation. The proposed stage-based framework clarifies how these emotional attributes operate at different points in the persuasion process. Practical applications target tourism organizations, including airlines, cruise operators, and nature-based destinations, suggesting they could structure sustainability communication as an emotional sequence rather than presenting isolated green initiatives.
This research could influence how environmental organizations and tourism operators craft their messaging strategies. If negative-to-positive sequencing proves consistently effective, organizations may shift from purely optimistic appeals toward more emotionally dynamic communication. This could affect public engagement with sustainability issues, potentially increasing pro-environmental behavior among travelers and tourists. However, the approach raises questions about emotional manipulation and whether inducing negative feelings is ethically appropriate, even when paired with positive solutions. The findings may also inform broader fields beyond tourism, including climate communication and corporate sustainability reporting.