‘Assertive + machine-written’ and ‘non-assertive + human-written’ just feel right: how do language assertiveness and typeface interact to impact environmental messaging persuasiveness in tourism?

The application of assertive language in environmental persuasion has produced mixed results. Besides the language content intensity such as assertiveness, this research proposes that a congruency of language content and visual presentation format such as typeface could be achieved to increase message persuasiveness of pro-environmental behaviors in the tourism domain. With three scenario-based experiments focusing on a garbage sorting initiative at a tourist attraction, a food waste reduction program in a restaurant, and an animal protection donation advocacy in a national park, respectively, the research demonstrated that matching assertive language with machine-written typeface, or non-assertive language with handwritten format, could enhance tourists’ compliance behaviors. The research also uncovered perceived fit and a subjective experience of feeling right as the underlying mechanism, and tourist involvement as a boundary condition for such a congruency effect. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.