4.6. H5: Testing a Moderated Serial–Parallel Mediation Model
infection, COVID-19 infection
REGRESSION, INFECTION, SECONDARY, COVID-19 INFECTION
H5 proposed a moderated serial–parallel mediation model. This model predicted indirect (specific and conditional) effects of the severity of the infection described in the message on the perceived personal risk of COVID-19 infection (H5a), on the perceived severity of COVID-19 (H5b) and on the intention of preventive behavior (H5c) mediated by the perception of the severity of the infection narrated in the story (primary mediator), identification with the protagonist, narrative transportation, reactance and cognitive elaboration (secondary mediators). However, it was predicted that these indirect effects would only manifest themselves when the infected person was the protagonist of the message. To test this model (which included five mediating variables, one independent variable and one moderating variable), the PROCESS macro (customized model) was used.The results of the analyses provided partial support for H5, as cognitive elaboration and reactance constituted relevant mediating mechanisms for explaining the impact of the severity of the COVID-19 infection narrated in the message on the outcome variables. However, neither identification with the protagonist nor narrative transportation constitute significant mediating mechanisms. The results were presented individually for each dependent variable in the form of tables (where the specific conditional indirect effects were reported) and figures (where the unstandardized regression coefficients quantifying the relationship between the different variables were reported).Regarding the first dependent variable considered (perceived personal risk of COVID-19 infection), it was observed that when the testimonial narrative referred to a severe infection in which the person narrating the story was involved (the young protagonist who had engaged in risky behavior), the perceived severity infection increased (B = 0.90, SE = 0.28, In relation to the second dependent variable, it was observed that both cognitive elaboration (B = 0.13, SE = 0.04, Finally, concerning the third dependent variable, it was also observed that both cognitive elaboration (B = 0.32, SE = 0.15, 