The Framing Effect: How Perception Shapes Decision-Making

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFraming As a Cognitive BiasBackground of Framing in PsychologyTypes of Framing in PsychologyExamples of Framing in Everyday LifeFactors Influencing the Framing EffectStrategies to Mitigate the Influence of FramingImplications of Framing Psychology in Mental Health

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Framing As a Cognitive Bias

Background of Framing in Psychology

Types of Framing in Psychology

Examples of Framing in Everyday Life

Factors Influencing the Framing Effect

Strategies to Mitigate the Influence of Framing

Implications of Framing Psychology in Mental Health

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We’ve all heard someone say the glass is “half full" or “half empty.” The same amount of water is in both glasses but your reaction may be different depending on how it’s described. Or how about cold cuts are “90% fat-free” versus “10% fat.”The amount of beef is the same but you may feel differently because of how the product is described. That is the psychology of framing in a nutshell.

Framing is when the same information is presented, or “framed,” in different ways, which often evokes very different emotions even though the information is saying the same thing. But the person only sees one formulation of the information, so to them, that’s all there is. Therefore, people can have different impressions of the same facts.

In the following article, we’ll dive into the theoretical background of framing psychology, look at types of framing and examples of framing in real life, and explore the factors that influence the framing effect and the strategies to mitigate the influence of framing.

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky first proposed framing as part of Prospect Theory in 1979. Prospect Theory, explainsGinaMarie Guarino, Licensed Mental Health Counselor at PsychPoint, “suggests that people make decisions based on the level of risk versus potential gain.”

The most important concepts from Kahneman and Tversky’s research, says Lazarovich, are:

In 1998, Levin, Schneider, and Gaeth distinguished between three types of framing effects:

Emotional responses and mental shortcuts, orheuristics, are the psychological mechanisms behind the framing effect, Harper adds. When something is framed positively it will invoke a sense of safety or a gain, whereas when the same thing is framed negatively it may invoke a sense of loss or danger.

Positive framing and its effects on decision-making

Positive framing highlights the benefits of a given scenario. It encourages us to focus on the optimistic and makes us willing to take action, according to Harper. “For example,” he says, “saying a vaccine is 95% effective makes people more likely to want it.”

Negative framing and its effects on decision-making

Negativeframing, on the other hand, highlights what could go wrong and what may be lost if a person does not take the desired action. This kind of framing makes people fear the consequences of what will happen if they don’t make the desired decision and can make people more risk-averse, says Harper. “For instance,” he explains, “if a message says, ‘If you don’t wear sunscreen, you’re likely to get skin cancer,’ it might scare people into taking preventive action.”

Comparative framing and its effects on decision-making

For example, Guarino says, advertising a racehorse as being able to run twice as fast as its competitors creates a biased frame that some people are likely to buy into even if the statement is impossible.

The examples of framing in real life are numerous but are often hidden. Guarino cites different versions of the same story between different news stations. Suppose both conservative news channels, like Fox News, and more liberal news channels, like MSNBC, are working on a story about, how on side of Congress killed a bill before it could pass. In that case, how the story is portrayed—and who is vilified or championed—may depend on which network you’re watching.

Another real-life example, according to Harper, is how doctors present surgery outcomes in terms of survival rates rather than mortality rates. This positive framing encourages people to opt for surgery better than the negative framing would.

Similarly, to make tax cuts seem more appealing, says Harper, politicians frame tax cuts as “a return of your hard-earned money” instead of “a reduction in government revenue.”

Theethical implicationsof framing depend on whether it’s used to inform or manipulate. When it’s used to inform, “it can be beneficial,” says Harper. “[But] when it’s used to mislead, it raises ethical concerns about the fairness and transparency of the information presented.” Guarino concurs, concluding, “when objective information is manipulated to seem more appealing, even if it is masking undesirable risks or presenting information in a way that is misleading to consumers,” ethical considerations come into play, such as with manipulative advertising or biased news reporting.

As a consumer of information, it’s important to think at all times about what a messenger may be trying to say to you, especially if they are pitching something for you to buy, or a side to choose.

There are several factors that influence framing, according to Guarino, Lazarovich, and Harper. They include:

Strategies to mitigate the influence of framing include educating yourself about how framing works (which you’re doing right now—congrats!). You should also, according to Harper, “be aware of how information is presented and consider alternative perspectives. Asking yourself how the same information might be framed differently can help you see through the bias.”

You can also perform your own research on the legitimacy of the information being framed, says Guarino. Harper agrees, citing taking the time to think critically about information before making a decision as another way to reduce the power of framing.

At the same time, framing can impact how people in themental healthcare system perceive their challenges and treatment options, says Harper. Negative framing can contribute to feelings of hopelessness, whereas positive framing can encourage a sense of hope and motivation, which is crucial in therapy.

To improve therapeutic outcomes, understanding and passing along how framing can help clients understand things in a more positive light, called cognitive restructuring, is crucial.

Wrapping Up

Framing as a psychological tactic is all around us. You might have even used it to present your own findings to your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, or your colleagues. For example, you might have told your child that kids who ride the bus to school are twice as likely to make friends. While this is an innocuous enough example, those who are trying to manipulate your thinking in politics, advertising, or other realms need to be questioned.

Reading this article is a good start to understanding framing. You can also look out for this phenomenon in your daily life, be aware of how information is presented in different contexts, perform your own research, and think critically about how information is being framed. This can go a long way toward guarding against the framing effect in psychology.

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kahneman D.Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2013.Maule J, Villejoubert G.What lies beneath: Reframing framing effects. Thinking and Reasoning. 2007;13(1):25-44. doi:10.1080/13546780600872585

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kahneman D.Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2013.Maule J, Villejoubert G.What lies beneath: Reframing framing effects. Thinking and Reasoning. 2007;13(1):25-44. doi:10.1080/13546780600872585

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kahneman D.Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2013.Maule J, Villejoubert G.What lies beneath: Reframing framing effects. Thinking and Reasoning. 2007;13(1):25-44. doi:10.1080/13546780600872585

Kahneman D.Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2013.

Maule J, Villejoubert G.What lies beneath: Reframing framing effects. Thinking and Reasoning. 2007;13(1):25-44. doi:10.1080/13546780600872585

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