미디어 언어의 자극성 정도에 따라 유도된 태도 차이: 포털 기사와 현수막 언어의 감정 유발 및 설득 효과를 중심으로

초록

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the provocative nature of language influenced induced attitude difference, and to reveal the roles of negative emotions evoked by language that played in this process. To this end, we modified banner images and portal news articles supporting both pro and con positions on the issues of “expanding medical school enrollment quota” and “banning dog meat consumption” into versions featuring “provocative language” and “neutral language,” and conducted experimental research following a manipulation check. The main experiment was conducted from December 16 to 19 in 2024, with 400 adults aged 25-54. The results indicated that the effect of linguistic provocation was significant, with provocative language generally eliciting more induced attitude difference than neutral language. Whether presented in banner images or portal news articles, induced attitude difference caused by linguistic provocation were closely related to the elicitation of negative emotions. Additionally, even brief banner phrases expressed in provocative language were found to affect induced attitude difference alongside the evocation of negative emotions. For the medical school enrollment quota issue, anxiety had the most considerable impact on induced attitude difference, while for the dog meat consumption issue, disgust was found to be more influential. Furthermore, the variance in induced attitude difference explained by negative emotions was observed to be greater for the dog meat consumption issue than for the medical school enrollment issue. Among initial opponents, the emotions that shifted opinions varied by issue: anger tended to increase opposition on the medical-school issue, whereas disgust tended to increase support for the dog-meat ban. By contrast, among initial supporters of both issues, anger tended to increase support, whereas anxiety tended to increase opposition. In addition, attitude-consistent messages elicited positive emotions, whereas attitude-inconsistent messages evoked negative emotions; moreover, provocative language produced stronger emotions than neutral language. Although ethical constraints required avoiding excessively provocative wording—potentially attenuating stimulus intensity—the finding that such language nonetheless elicited negative emotions while increasing the magnitude of induced attitude difference underscores the importance of linguistic choices. Overall, the findings suggest that provocative language elicits negative emotions and significantly influences induced attitude difference, highlighting the need for careful language choices in banner and portal news article messaging. Moreover, even brief, peripherally processed banner messages can capture attention and provoke negative emotional arousal that subsequently shapes attitude induction.

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