Framing Effects Research Articles

How stable are moral judgements? A longitudinal study of context dependency in attitudes towards patient responsibility

BackgroundWhether patients' life-style should involve lower priority for treatment is a controversial question in bioethics. Less is known about clinicians' views.AimTo study how clinical doctors' attitudes to questions of patient responsibility and priority vary over time.MethodSurveys of doctors in Norway in 2008, 2014, 2021. Questionnaires included statements about patients' lifestyle's significance for priority to care, and vignettes of priority cases (only in 2014).ResultsAttitudes were fairly stable between 2008 and 2021. 17%/14% agreed that patients' lifestyle should count, while 19%/22% agreed that it should involve lower priority to scarce organs. 42/44% agreed that smokers should have lower priority. Substantially more agreed in 2014. Regression analyses showed that being male, working in hospital, and younger age increased the likelihood of agreeing.ConclusionA substantial minority of doctors agreed that lifestyle should be a priority criterion, possibly contrary to Norwegian legislation and professional ethics. The finding might be explained by the unspecified meaning of priority, increased scarcity-awareness, or socio-cultural trends towards individualism. The 2014 results indicate a framing effect; the vignettes may have primed the respondents towards accepting lifestyle as a criterion. We conclude that attitudes to normative questions are unstable and depend on context. A substantial minority of doctors seems to be positive to deprioritizing patients allegedly responsible for their illness. However, what deprioritization implies in practice is not clear.

Highly logical and non-emotional decisions in both risky and social contexts: understanding decision making in autism spectrum disorder through computational modeling.

In risky contexts, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals exhibit more logical consistency and non-emotional decisions than do typical adults (TAs). This way of deciding could be also prevailing in social contexts, leading to maladaptive decisions. This evidence is scarce and inconsistent, and further research is needed. Recent developments in computational modeling allow analysis of decisional subcomponents that could provide valuable information to understand the decision-making and help address inconsistencies. Twenty-seven individuals with ASD and 25 TAs were submitted to a framing-task and the ultimatum game (UG). The Rescorla-Wagner computational model was used to analyze UG decisions. Results showed that in the UG, the ASD group exhibited a higher utilitarianism, characterized by lower aversion to unfairness and higher acceptance of offers. Moreover, this way of deciding was predicted by the higher economic rationality found in the framing task, where people with ASD did not manifest emotional biases such as framing effect. These results could suggest an atypical decision making, highly logical and non-emotional, as a robust feature of ASD.

Examining belief adjusment model and framing effect on the audit materiality level decision making

The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not there is a difference in the decision-making of external auditors in determining the level of audit materiality between participants who get good news followed by bad news and those who get bad news information sequences (bad news) followed by good news (good news) with a step-by-step and end-of-sequence information presentation pattern in the positive frame or negative frame. The research method used in the research is the mixed design experiment method (between and within the subject) which manipulates the independent variables of the order of evidence (good news followed by bad news and bad news followed by good news) and framing effect (positive frame or negative frame) in the presentation pattern Step by Step and End of Sequence. Participants in this study were 150 students of the Bachelor of Accounting study program at Hayam Wuruk Perbanas Surabaya University with 300 experiment data. This study uses the normality test and the Kruskall-Wallis H test. The results of this study indicate that the Step-by-step presentation pattern can cause a recency effect when receiving information with a sequence of evidence of good news followed by bad news and bad news followed by good news both in the series, with the positive or negative frame, and the results obtained if the information is presented with an End of Sequence presentation pattern with information and a sequence of evidence of good news followed by bad news or bad news followed by good news there is no difference (no order effect) either in the framing effect (positive frame and negative frame).

That I can wait: The effect of promotion framing on consumer preferences

Sales managers often struggle to create effective combinations of promotion framing and promotion reward timing. However, whether gain-framing (vs. loss-reduction framing) promotions are better suited to be combined with immediate or delayed promotions remains an open question. In three studies, we show that the gain (vs. loss-reduction) framing of promotion information activates a high (vs. low) construal level, which leads to a higher preference for delayed (vs. immediate) promotions. We also find that time perception moderates the proposed effect. Specifically, consumers with time-overestimating (vs. time-underestimating) perception are more likely to choose immediate (delayed) promotions when they are at a low (high) construal level. Our findings provide insights for marketers and retailers that consumers would like to wait for a higher reward in a longer horizon under the gain promotion frame, while they prefer an immediate reward even if the benefit is much lower under the loss-reduction promotion frame.

Mocking oneself or teasing others? The interactive effects of humorous message framing and tourism crisis response strategies

ABSTRACT Numerous studies have investigated tourism crisis communication, but few studies have focused on matching crisis communication message framing with crisis response strategy. Therefore, we explored the interactive effects of humorous message framing (HMF) and crisis response strategy (CRS) on destination reputation. The results indicate that adopting an apology CRS alongside self-deprecating HMF improves destination reputation, while the combination of a denial CRS with aggressive HMF helps restore destination reputation. Moreover, perceived sincerity and destination trust are effective mediators. This paper reveals the logic behind the application of destination CRS and deepens academics’ comprehension of the effect of HMF. It expands the research system of tourism crisis communication from the viewpoint of message framing. Meanwhile, the results provide theoretical and practical references for destination crisis response and reputation recovery.

Political communication in the real world: evidence from a natural experiment in Germany

Abstract Various robust communication effects have been identified, but evidence is overwhelmingly based on artificial survey treatments with limited real-world insight. I conducted a natural experiment on the impact of the European–Turkey statement closing the Balkan route during the 2015/16 European refugee crisis in Germany. This design tests the lasting effect of the statement's framing on public sentiment. I identify treatment and control groups based on timing to demonstrate its effect on perceptions of the crisis, asylum attitudes, and policy preferences. Effects are largest immediately following the announcement but decline rapidly. This shows political communication can significantly change opinion within a limited time frame. This study enhances our understanding of real-world communication effects and offers a broadly applicable methodology.

Investigating the influence mechanism of goal‐framing theory on urban residents' green travel behavior

AbstractThis study aims to explore the influence mechanism of goal‐framing theory on green travel behavior (GTB), thereby supporting the promotion of sustainable transportation modes to mitigate environmental degradation and resource waste, in alignment with the “dual carbon” targets. Based on the GTB data of 334 Chinese residents, we use goal‐framing theory to analyze residents' subjective environmental concerns and the external media's driving mechanism on their choice of green travel through a structural equation modeling (SEM). At the same time, the mediating effect of goal frames is tested through mediation testing. The results show that: 1. indirectly encouraged by media persuasion influencing their normative and hedonic goals; 2. encouraged by normative and hedonic goals partially mediating the relationship between environmental concerns and GTB; and 3. surprisingly, not very affected by influencing their gain goals. The implications of this research provide actionable insights for interventions, messaging strategies, transportation industry practices, environmental policy development, and theoretical advancements. For future research, it is essential to delve into regional variations and to more thoroughly account for the influence of external factors on GTB.

The effect of moral framing on attitudes towards offshore wind farms in Turkey

Public support of renewable energy has become more important as the share of renewable energy increases recently. To avoid public opposition framing strategies can be used. In this study, we aim to reveal the effect of moral framing on support for an intended offshore wind farm (OWF) project in Turkey. We designed a survey with two framing conditions in line with the assertions of Moral Foundations Theory, individualizing and binding, and one control condition. The individualizing condition appeals to the values associated with fairness and well-being. The binding condition appeals to values associated with patriotism, purity and respect for authority, and a control condition lacking any such targeting. We found, prioritizing economic growth, positive expectations from OWFs and willingness to bear personal cost to solve environmental problems positively affect support for OWF, while visual concerns and concerns regarding environment and limited natural resources negatively affect support for OWF. Regarding the framing effect, we found that congruency between political ideology and framing conditions is only significant for individualizing condition. Left-leaning individuals who were exposed to individualizing condition are more likely to support OWFs compared to those of who were exposed to binding and control condition.

Cycles of solar ultraviolet radiation favor periodic expansions of cyanobacterial blooms in global lakes

Global warming and eutrophication are known to increase the prevalence of cyanobacterial blooms, posing a severe threat to the ecological stability and sustainability of water bodies. The long-term (over an annual time frame) effect of UV radiation on cyanobacterial blooms in lakes are rarely discussed though the substantial effects of high-intensity UV radiation on the growth inhibition of marine phytoplankton were studied. Here, we employed the datasets on surface solar UV radiation, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, and the annual scales and frequencies of cyanobacterial blooms in lakes across long-term spatial scales to probe the relationship of UV radiation with cyanobacterial blooms. The results indicated that enhanced solar UV radiation may unintentionally stimulate cyanobacterial growth and favor the expansions of cyanobacterial blooms in lakes around the world. The fluctuating UV radiation significantly affects the annual scales of cyanobacterial blooms in both eutrophic and oligotrophic lakes. Solar UV radiation enhances the positive impact of rising phosphorus levels on cyanobacterial blooms because UV radiation prompts the synthesis of polyphosphate in cyanobacteria cells, which helps cyanobacteria to alleviate the stress of UV light. The scales of cyanobacterial blooms are significantly impacted by solar UV radiation intensities as opposed to the annual frequency of cyanobacterial blooms. Furthermore, solar UV radiation fluctuation with a 9-year period over a 14-year main cycles significantly affects the periodicities of cyanobacterial blooms in global lakes, which provides a basis for predicting the peak value of the scales of cyanobacterial blooms in lakes. These findings opened up new avenues of inquiry into the mechanism and management strategies of cyanobacterial blooms in lakes worldwide.

Working more for more and working more for less: Labor supply in the gain and loss domains

We examine labor supply responses to piece rate changes relative to the reference piece rate (RR). In experimental conditions without RR, labor supply increases monotonically with the actual piece rate. In conditions with RR, labor supply increases both when the piece rate rises and falls relative to RR. This non-monotonicity in labor supply responses to piece rate changes around RR is consistent with the effects of framing a given level of income as gain or loss relative to the target level induced by RR: loss aversion makes subjects work more at a given piece rate when the implied income is in the loss rather than gain domain. However, the framing effects disappear when the piece rate could both rise or fall relative to RR.

Media-induced emotions and message sidedness in corporate crises

PurposeThis study examines the interplay between media-induced emotional crisis framing (anger vs sadness) and message sidedness of crisis response on publics’ attribution of crisis responsibility as well as subsequent company evaluation and supportive behavioral intention.Design/methodology/approachA 2 (emotion: anger vs sadness) x 2 (crisis response: one-sided vs two-sided) online experiment was conducted among 161 participants in the USA.FindingsResults showed that anger-inducing media framing of the crisis elicited higher levels of crisis responsibility attribution and more negative company evaluation, compared with sadness-inducing media framing. One-sided message response was more effective than two-sided message response in lowering attribution of crisis responsibility when sadness was induced, but no difference was found under the anger-induced condition. Attribution of crisis responsibility fully mediated the effects of emotional crisis framing on company evaluation and supportive behavioral intention toward the company.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to examine the interaction effect between emotional media framing and response message sidedness in an ambiguous crisis. Drawing on the interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks, this study integrates the situational crisis communication theory, appraisal-tendency framework and message sidedness in persuasion literature. As such, it contributes to theoretical development in crisis communication and offers communication managers guidance on how to effectively address emotionally framed crises.

Colossal barocaloric effect of plastic crystals imbedded in silicon frame near room temperature: Molecular dynamics simulation

Solid-state refrigeration technology has been attracting tremendous attention in recent decades. Plastic crystal pentaerythritol (PE) is a crucial barocaloric material in the solid-state refrigeration field due to its high entropy. However, its refrigeration temperature range and extremely low thermal conductivity are far from meeting the requirements of practical application. Here, we systematically investigate the barocaloric effect (BCE) of composite PE and silicon frame [consisting of silicon nanotube and silicene architectures (SNT-Sil)] and analyze the effects of different silicon models on the BCE performance based on molecular dynamics simulations and statistical analysis. A colossal BCE of PE/silicon frame composite is observed, and refrigeration temperature can be altered to the room temperature range by alloying neopentane (PA) into the PE matrix. It is found that the composite PE0.8PA0.2/SNT-Sil and PE0.9PA0.1/SNT-Sil demonstrate excellent comprehensive refrigeration performance near room temperature (300–320 K), with large isothermal entropy change ΔS (654–842 J kg−1 K−1), adiabatic temperature ΔT (34–47 K), and thermal conductivity κ (4.0–4.2 W m−1 K−1). The microscopic mechanism is discussed through pressure induced changes in bonding, structural, and vibrational properties. Importantly, the plastic crystal/silicon framework is easy to deform and requires smaller input work in the barocaloric refrigeration process compared to other nanomaterials such as carbon framework. This work provides important guidance on improving plastic crystals with colossal comprehensive refrigeration performance for practical applications.

Humanizing Metaverse: Psychological involvement and masstige value in retail versus tourism platforms

AbstractAcross two experimental studies, this research puts forward the concept of avatars' self‐representation and regulatory message framing to discover psychological involvement and masstige value in retail and tourism platforms, demonstrating how avatar self‐representation and message framing can potentially indicate Metaverse psychological involvement in the Metaverse. The proteus effect was applied to study avatar falsity. The promotion/prevention regulatory focus theory was employed to examine the effect of message framing in hypothetical retail and tourism platforms in Study 1 (n = 846). Further determinants of masstige value were captured using the masstige theory. In parallel with Study 1, Study 2 (n = 817) adopted real‐world examples of the Metaverse—Gucci Vault Plaza (Retail) and Baidu Xi Rang (Tourism) to equally examine the effect of users' psychological involvement on Metaverse involvement via masstige value. Respondents were allocated to either a self‐promotion or self‐verification avatar condition. The results demonstrated significant downstream effects of these specific self‐promotion and self‐verification categories, thereby contributing to an important conceptual subdimension in the measurement and understanding of online self‐perception within the context of avatars. When participants imagined using a self‐verification avatar in the prevention‐focused message condition, significant effects were observed. Further, a Metaverse platform is a critical factor that affects masstige. Exploring the masstige value at the Metaverse demonstrates the relationship between self‐enhancement and masstige desire for luxury that underscores Metaverse involvement. The research presented a critical insight into the carryover effects of self‐representation of avatars that can establish a new form of meta‐interaction. This research provides insights into technology in virtual retail and tourism Metaverse applications to provide users with more psychologically authentic solutions within the Metaverse.

Highlighting the Old in the “New Normal”

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a wide ideological gap frustrated an effective response to the health crisis. Whereas most liberals supported protective measures, many conservatives opposed them. Five studies ( Ntotal = 3,090) demonstrate that American and German conservatives’ opposition to COVID-19 measures arose partially from nostalgic emotions. We show that framing COVID-19 measures as a return to the past reduces conservatives’ opposition to face masks and vaccinations. An internal meta-analysis shows that although the overall effect of temporal framing is significant, it is small. This research identifies conservatives’ focus on the past as a theoretically relevant antecedent to their opposition to COVID-19 measures and introduces temporal framing as a small but practically feasible strategy to reduce such opposition.

WHICH FRAME FOR WHAT GROUP? UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENTIAL FRAME RESONANCE THROUGH STANDPOINT: A CASE STUDY OF THE VEGAN MOVEMENT

Innovative methods are enhancing our ability to measure the impact of framing on public perception, yet our understanding of the factors influencing frame resonance remains incomplete. This study investigates the differential effects of frames on diverse groups, proposing that both social positioning and the cultural context, alongside the qualities of the frames themselves, are significant. Drawing upon framing theory and feminist standpoint theories, I examine the vegan movement to understand the immediate impact of frames and social locations on their resonance. I employ an intersectional approach to analyze varying responses across gendered racial demographics, especially in response to radical narratives, using data from a new national survey of 498 United States participants. The findings show that individuals facing multiple forms of marginalization are more inclined to respond to frames that challenge existing power structures than those with multiple privileges. This suggests the critical role of standpoint in evaluating the validity of claims, highlighting the complex ways in which frames resonate across different social locations.

Nudging purchase intention towards more secure domestic IoT: The effect of label features and psychological mechanisms

The domestic Internet of Things market is flooded with unsecure devices and yet, the demand rises. This study aimed to find ways for labels to nudge consumers into purchasing safer devices. Two studies were conducted, one with a Dutch student sample (N = 193) and one with a UK population sample (N = 278). Multiple labels were presented to participants to test potential effects of security degree (high vs. low), framing (positive vs. negative) and label type (grade format vs. informative format), in interaction with initial attitude towards smart devices and trust in the label, on purchase intention. Furthermore, we investigated the antecedents of trust in the label. Findings for both studies indicated significant positive effects of high security degree, positive framing, initial attitude and trust in the label on purchase intention. Both studies find that the positive effect of security degree on purchase intention was stronger when initial attitude was higher and when trust in the label was higher. The informative label was both more trusted and more preferred, so therefore recommended to be used. Overall, security information is effective in steering people towards purchasing safer IoT, and higher trust in the label increases the effectiveness of the label.

The Influence of Audit Evidence Framing on Auditors’ Judgment

ABSTRACT Framing effects are a phenomenon where individuals respond differently to equivalent information presented in a positive or negative manner. Whether framing effects within audit evidence affect auditor judgment is unknown. We conduct a simulated client inquiry experiment to investigate whether the framing of an inquiry evidence item (positive versus negative) and the timing of the frame within the inquiry evidence series (at the beginning versus end) influences auditor judgment. More consistent with attribute framing than belief-adjustment predictions, our findings suggest a primacy effect where participants who receive a positive frame at the beginning of the inquiry are less likely to change their initial assessments of misstatement than participants who receive a “neutral” perspective (i.e., both positive and negative frames simultaneously). Our results imply that positively framed initial evidence, relative to other settings, may constrain auditors’ consideration of subsequent evidence when making judgments about the account in question. Data Availability: Data are available from the authors on request.

The role of conspiracy mentality, reactance, and anxiety in the effectiveness of gain- vs. loss-framed messages promoting COVID-19 protective measures: Is vaccination different?

We explore how conspiracy beliefs change the effectiveness of gain- vs. loss-framed messages in promoting health-protective behavior. We focused on various recommended COVID-19 protective measures, not only vaccinations but also other preventive (like wearing masks) and detection behaviors (like testing). Our results indicate that conspiracy beliefs moderate the effectiveness of gain vs. loss framing. When participants endorse conspiracy worldviews above the average level, the gain frame may be more effective than the loss frame. In other words, in the loss frame condition, conspiracy beliefs negatively and significantly predicted attitudes toward the behavior recommended. However, in the case of the gain frame, the relationship between conspiracist views and attitudes toward promoted behavior was weaker or even nonsignificant. We also found, although only in the case of one behavior, that when participants' eagerness to look for conspiracies almost does not exist, the loss frame may be a better option than the gain frame. Finally, neither of these effects was mediated by emotional reactance or anxiety.

Latinx for whom? Reflections upon the linguistic shaping of Latin American identities in the United States

ABSTRACT This article critically examines the growing utilization of the term Latinx in the United States (US) as an all-inclusive, nonbinary ethnonym that challenges the injustices experienced by discriminated minorities, mostly LGBTQIA + people of Latin American descent in the United States. Despite its relevance, the term Latinx presents key challenges, beginning with its use as a catch-all category and substitute for other ethnonyms (i.e. Hispanics and Latinos) that speak to diverse racial/ethnic identities. Latinx’s two-fold framing effect has contributed to invisibilizing the experiences of cisgender people, along with transgender individuals who see themselves as binary, and of gender nonconforming populations. In supporting these claims, the author self-reflects on her Latina positionality to question the use of Latinx as a wide-ranging label. Finally, this essay offers concrete recommendations on how to properly use Latinx to include diverse Latin/a/o/x identities in the US and beyond.

Optimistic vs Pessimistic Message Framing in Communicating Prognosis to Parents of Very Preterm Infants

In the neonatal intensive care unit, there is a lack of understanding about how best to communicate the prognosis of a serious complication to parents. To examine parental preferences and the effects of optimistic vs pessimistic message framing when providing prognostic information about a serious complication. This crossover randomized clinical trial was conducted at a single German university medical center between June and October 2021. Eligible participants were parents of surviving preterm infants with a birth weight under 1500 g. Data were analyzed between October 2021 and August 2022. Alternating exposure to 2 scripted video vignettes showing a standardized conversation between a neonatologist and parents, portrayed by professional actors, about the prognosis of a hypothetical very preterm infant with severe intraventricular hemorrhage. The video vignettes differed in the framing of identical numerical outcome estimates as either probability of survival and probability of nonimpairment (optimistic framing) or a risk of death and impaired survival (pessimistic framing). The primary outcome was preference odds (ratio of preference for optimistic vs pessimistic framing). Secondary outcomes included state anxiety, perceptions of communication, and recall of numerical estimates. Of 220 enrolled parents (142 [64.5%] mothers; mean [SD] age: mothers, 39.1 [5.6] years; fathers, 42.7 [6.9] years), 196 (89.1%) preferred optimistic and 24 (10.1%) preferred pessimistic framing (preference odds, 11.0; 95% CI, 6.28-19.10; P < .001). Preference for optimistic framing was more pronounced when presented second than when presented first (preference odds, 5.41; 95% CI, 1.77-16.48; P = .003). State anxiety scores were similar in both groups at baseline (mean difference, -0.34; -1.18 to 0.49; P = .42) and increased equally after the first video (mean difference, -0.55; 95% CI, -1.79 to 0.69; P = .39). After the second video, state anxiety scores decreased when optimistic framing followed pessimistic framing but remained unchanged when pessimistic framing followed optimistic framing (mean difference, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.91 to 3.39; P < .001). With optimistic framing, participants recalled numerical estimates more accurately for survival (odds ratio, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.64-9.79; P = .002) but not for impairment (odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.63; P = .16). When given prognostic information about a serious complication, parents of very preterm infants may prefer optimistic framing. Optimistic framing may lead to more realistic expectations for survival, but not for impairment. German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00024466.