Extended Elaboration Likelihood Model

The extended elaboration likelihood model (E‐ELM) builds upon the elaboration likelihood model by defining involvement with messages differentially across genres. Such a view is able to account for a wider variety of message processing motivations and subsequent persuasive outcomes. Specifically, it provides insights into audience processing of messages that are not overtly persuasive, such as entertainment narratives. The E‐ELM predicts that the processing of narrative content is generally driven by engagement with the storyline and characters, and persuasive effects of embedded messages are dependent upon absorption into such content. Meanwhile, didactic and information scanning goals characterize the instrumental processing of other informational messages, and lead to unique predictions for persuasive outcomes. The E‐ELM has been studied most widely in the context of entertainment narratives. While the E‐ELM has been studied most thoroughly in hedonic entertainment contexts, there are opportunities for further application into areas such as eudaimonic narratives and the processing of messages that may involve a combination of processing goals.