Compared to verbal texts, the effects of visual images on persuasion have not been sufficiently researched. The current meta-analysis investigates this under-tested topic by examining whether adding images to texts influences persuasive outcomes. The literature search found 20 effect sizes from 12 studies with a total of 2,452 participants. The overall effects show that additional visual images to verbal texts had no significant effect on persuasion, r=0.055, p=0.161. When moderating variables were included, however, several significant visual effects were emerged, such that photographs (r=0.077, p=0.038), positive images (r=0.185, p=0.000), and images about health issues (r=0.105, p=0.015) showed significant advantages of increasing persuasion. Limitations and future directions of the study are also discussed.

This study explored the effects of stylistic elements, framing and imagery, on emotion, cognition, and persuasion. Frame and image were matched on valence (gain frame + positive image; loss frame + negative image) and mismatched (gain + negative image; loss + positive image) to examine whether the (mis)match amplified or attenuated message effects. Using the topic of traveling to an exotic island, an experiment ( N = 455) found general support for matching in the gain-framed conditions but not in the loss-framed conditions. To the extent that valence can be useful as a basis for assessing match, it must take into account the message domain and the nature of the outcome variables. One general principle and two corollaries are proposed to serve as patches for the valence rule.

This study examines the psychological effects of heuristic cues on a product review website to gain a better understanding of online agency. A between-participants experiment of 458 college students confirmed the formation of more positive attitudes toward a product review website when an expert rather than a computer/website served as the source of product review information, specifically when the expert source was accompanied by a rating of four stars vs. one star. A product review authored by other users also induced more favorable attitudes toward the website when it was presented with a higher level of star ratings than a lower one. The study also revealed perceived authority and bandwagon heuristics mediated the relationship between the presence of social plugins and favorable attitudes toward the website via credibility perceptions. Findings not only underscored the power of the authority and bandwagon cues when users make quick judgments on product review sites but also discovered a theoretical path that explained the role of social plugins—a seal of credibility—on e-commerce sites. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed for designing information-based websites.

This study examined the joint effects of message framing (gain vs. loss) and visual image (image vs. no image) on persuasion as it related to the use of dental floss and the use of sunscreen (N = 252). For both topics, the results revealed a Frame x Image interaction effect on fear. The interaction was such that the presence (vs. absence) of an image produced more fear in the loss-framed conditions. The corresponding results for gain-framed messages were inconsistent. Covariance analyses showed that fear mediated the effect of the interaction on persuasion, whereas dominant cognitive response did not.