Effect of framing on cognitive processing in public relations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of message framing on cognitive processing by employees of an internal organizational message. A between-subject factorial experimental design with random assignment was used to test the moderating role of message frames on cognitive processing. Subjects in the study produced a significantly different number of thoughts in response to messages with different frames. The different frames presented also resulted in generation of different topics of thought for participants. This difference in cognitive response to a message may point to a difference in the salience of the message for the audience. The results of this study underscore the need for public relations practitioners to understand the needs and motivations of internal audiences and to contextualize internal messages for increased effectiveness in persuasion.