How does interactivity persuade? An experimental test of interactivity on cognitive absorption, elaboration, and attitudes

We explore theoretical mechanisms by which the interactivity of a medium enhances the persuasive potential of messages, by investigating the effects of 2 different types of website interactivity-modality interactivity and message interactivity-on the nature of user engagement with messages. In a 3 (Message Interactivity: High/Medium/Low) × 2 (Modality Interactivity: Slider/Control) factorial experiment (N = 167), we discovered that modality interactivity led to more positive assessment of the interface and greater cognitive absorption, contributing to more favorable attitudes toward the website and even toward the antismoking messages. However, it reduced the amount of message-related thoughts. In contrast, message interactivity enhanced message elaboration, leading to more positive attitudes among those with low involvement in the message topic.