Abstract
Digital and media convergence has led to new forms of communication and storytelling, such as Transmedia Edutainment (TE-E). Since it is relatively new, there is limited evidence on understanding the narrative processing and the persuasive outcomes of TE-E. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to explore the role of TE-E as a new communication approach advocating for Sustainable Development (SD). Following a mixed-methods design, a total of five focus groups discussions were conducted with college students to explore their impressions, experience, and attitudes towards the TE-E. The dissertation also included a quasi-experiment with a sample of 441 college students to examine the narrative persuasive effects of the TE-E on young adults and the narrative mechanisms responsible for narrative outcomes compared to single forms of narrative presentation (e.g., video, game, and comic). This dissertation draws on the entertainment-education literature, narrative persuasion, narrative engagement, and the entertainment overcoming resistance model. Thematic analysis revealed three emerging themes: “If you don't hit me on one platform. You could hit me on another”; Persuasive power of TE-E; and “Why not a mind changer?”. Findings from the quasi-experiment showed that TE-E minimized counterarguing because of the repeated narrative exposure across platforms and the subtle approach to narrative persuasion, which led to message reinforcement and resulted in less resistance. Also, TE-E demonstrated slightly more impact in the knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions outcomes than the comic and control conditions. Additionally, results emphasized that videos have been positively received as the most engaging platform and preferred narrative with high perceptions of perceived realism, however, most participants disliked the game. Lastly, narrative engagement strongly mediated the relationship between different platforms and enjoyment. Overall, this research provides significant theoretical and practical contributions to the study and practice of TE-E.