A recent study conducted by the University of Toronto, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, has shed light on the persuasive power of content written in the present tense. The research posits that present-tense sentences make messages appear more concrete and specific, facilitating a better understanding and visualization of the content.
Sam Maglio, a professor of marketing and psychology at U of T Scarborough and co-author of the study, explains that the present tense provides a more vivid and immersive experience for the reader, making the message feel real and true. Collaborating with David Fang, a Stanford University doctoral candidate and University of Toronto alumnus, the researchers analyzed millions of Amazon reviews across various product categories.
The analysis focused on the usage of past, present, and future tenses in each review, correlating them with upvotes. Interestingly, reviews predominantly written in the present tense received higher helpfulness ratings compared to those with more past or future tense verbs. This trend persisted even when participants were involved in the rating process. Geographical context played a role, with reviews from Canada showing increased perceived helpfulness with present tense verbs, while reviews from Australia exhibited minimal impact based on verb tense.
Maglio emphasizes that reviews are most helpful when they feel immediate and tangible, enabling readers to visualize, touch, and experience the content. To further establish the link between present tense and persuasiveness, the researchers conducted a donation pitch with about 400 participants in different tenses. The average donation figure increased from around 28% when pitched in past or future tenses to 38% when presented in the present tense.
Maglio concludes that even though people may not consciously notice the difference between verb tenses, they significantly impact how individuals think and respond to information.
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