Escobar, Mariana Leyton, Piet AM Kommers, and Ardion Beldad. "Using narratives as tools for channeling participation in online communities." Computers in Human Behavior 37 (2014): 64-72.

This research investigates the impact of narratives on member engagement and participation within online communities (OCs). Through an online survey involving 2028 members of an OC, the study tests three hypotheses related to sense of community, culture formation participation, and participation in community successes. The findings reveal that narratives significantly influence participatory behavior, serving both as an amplifier of membership and shared values and as a mediator between needs fulfillment, influence, shared emotional connection, and participation. This underscores the critical role of narratives in fostering active involvement and cohesion in online communities.