Use of affect in blog communication: Trust, Credibility, and Authenticity

• This study explored the compelling-arguments hypothesis in an agenda-building framework focusing on the role of affect in blog communication.
• A 3 × 3 factorial experiment with two manipulated independent variables (valence and arousal) was completed to explore relationships.
• A total of 242 participants recruited via “Mechanical Turk” were randomly assigned to the nine manipulated conditions.
• Main effects were found from both independent variables (valence and arousal) on the two relationship outcome variables (trust and authenticity).
• A main effect of valence was found on the perceived credibility.
• This study showed that emotional evaluative tone of a message can play a significant role to build cognitive and overall evaluations of the organization.

The purpose of this study was to test the compelling-arguments hypothesis in an agenda-building framework, focusing on the role of affect in blog communication. Conducting a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with two manipulated independent variables (valence and arousal), this investigation examined the influences of these variables on public relations outcomes (credibility, trust, and authenticity) as potential consequences of agenda-building relationships. Our findings showed main effects of both independent variables on perceived trust and authenticity.