Psychological Bulletin, Vol 148(7-8), Jul-Aug 2022, 465-517; doi:10.1037/bul0000377
Message matching refers to the design and distribution of persuasive messages such that message features (e.g., the themes emphasized) align with characteristics of the target audience (e.g., their personalities). Motivational message matching is a form of this technique that seeks to enhance persuasion by matching specifically to differences in motivational characteristics (e.g., salient goals, needs, values). Despite the widespread use of motivational matching, there is little understanding of how and when to use it. We conducted a preregistered (PROSPERO CRD42019116688; https://osf.io/rpjdg%29/ systematic review and three-level meta-analysis of 702 experimental studies on motivational matching (synthesizing 5,251 effect sizes from N = 206,482). Studies were inclusive of publications until December 2018 and primarily identified using APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Scopus. We evaluate moderation using metaregressions and provide bias assessments (sensitivity analyses, funnel plots). Motivational matching increases persuasion by an average of r = .20 (95% CI [.18, .22]) as assessed by differences in attitudes, intentions, self-reported behavior, and observed behavior, relative to comparison conditions. This effect is larger than previously observed for other message matching approaches (e.g., message tailoring, message framing), which usually average r