Changing people's minds can be tough, especially when it comes to sensitive issues.
But a new study found that sharing personal stories can make people more open to different views on controversial topics.
This is important for discussing matters like health, life, and death.
How it was tested
In the study, around 1,500 people were asked about their views on controversial topics, including physician-assisted suicide.
When they read a personal story about someone's experience with the issue, they were more likely to be open to different opinions compared to those who read an informative article.
Personal stories are about someone's real-life experiences, and they can be very emotional.
This research shows that they are powerful, especially for life-and-death topics like physician-assisted suicide.
People in the study got either a personal story or an informative article that matched or didn't match their own beliefs.
Those who read personal stories were more willing to consider different viewpoints, no matter what they believed before.
This finding can help communicators create messages that work better, especially when discussing tricky subjects.
The research also shows that personal stories work in situations where people are trying to do what's meaningful, even if it's challenging.
Why it's important
The study's author wants to keep researching how personal stories affect people, especially on topics that are important but tough to talk about, like end-of-life decisions.
So, sharing personal stories can be a helpful way to get people to think about different ideas, especially on important and sensitive topics.
It's a useful tool for communicators who want to reach their audience effectively.
