Investigating Persuasive Behaviors Across Different Opinion Polarities: A Study of Video Messages

Interpreting subjectively what makes a person persuasive in online videos is a complex and dynamic process that requires critical thinking and active engagement from the part of the observer. With the rapid expansion of online communication through social networking websites, more persuasive content is made available online in the form of video. The use of positive and/or negative opinions might affect how persuasive someone appears to be. Persuasiveness is at the core of everyday human-human interactions, such as defending a client in a court, seeking a patient's compliance with medical advice or convincing a customer to buy a product. This study is motivated by the argument that persuasive behavior changes with opinion polarity and whether a speaker is trying to persuade one in favor of or against something. Emotion plays a key role in persuasion both in verbal and non-verbal communication, therefore understanding the impact of opinion polarity (sentiment) on the persuasive messages becomes increasingly important. The study aims to explain the” emotion” behind the message as expressed in negative and positive opinions both persuasive and unpersuasive videos. The data used for the analysis is derived from Persuasive Opinion Multimedia (POM) dataset which is an online multimodal dataset with existing labels for persuasive and non-persuasive videos placed in two sentiment or opinion polarities (positive and negative). This research paper also introduced a new neuromarketing assessment method called NeuroMap's NeuroScoring tool, previously designed to evaluate persuasive messages through a neuromarketing perspective. The present study results align with the NeuroMap model's emphasis on the role of emotions in persuasion. The persuasion model suggests that emotions directly impact how people process and memorize information and how persuasive messages that evoke positive emotions are more likely to be effective. In the study, sentiment levels can be seen as indicators of emotional content conveyed in the video messages, and the positive relationship between sentiment levels and persuasiveness supports the view that emotional appeal plays a crucial role in influencing persuasion.