The effectiveness of persuasion via infographics

In this thesis an exploratory study is covered that focuses on the research question ‘to what extent are the infographics provided by the Dutch national government supporting Covid-19 measures announcements effective in generating conceptions supportive of the measures among adolescents?’ This question is asked in the context of data visualizations during the Covid-19 pandemic and focuses on the sub-domain of ‘digital infographics’. In order to answer the research question the study utilizes a cross-sectional design. An elaborate theoretical framework on persuasion via infographics was constructed and subsequently tested by comparing it with the results of the data analysis. Data for this analysis was collected by utilizing the in-depth interview method as the main data collection method. On the basis of the analysis results it could be concluded that the degree to which the infographics generated positive conceptions was low. The analysis indicated that the limited positive change was influenced by emotional appeal, the design of the infographic and the receptivity to persuasion of the viewer. This study therefore recommends that the Dutch government creates more concise, straightforward, authoritative and emotionally valent infographics in order to generate more positive conceptions.