Health Message Framing Effects on Attitudes, Intentions, and Behavior: A Meta analytic Review
BackgroundMessage framing has been an important focus in health communication research, yet prior meta analyses found limited support for using framing to increase persuasiveness of health messages.PurposeThis meta analysis distinguished the outcomes used to assess the persuasive impact of framed messages (attitudes, intentions, or behavior).MethodsOne hundred eighty nine effect sizes were identified from 94 peer reviewed, published studies which compared the persuasive impact of gain and loss framed messages.ResultsGain framed messages were more likely than loss framed messages to encourage prevention behaviors (r 0.083, p 0.002) particularly for skin cancer prevention, smoking cessation, and physical activity. No effect of framing was found when persuasion was assessed by attitudes/intentions or among studies encouraging detection.ConclusionsGain framed messages appear to be more effective than loss framed messages in promoting prevention behaviors. Research should examine the contexts in which loss framed messages are most effective, and the processes that mediate the effects of framing on behavior.
Annals of behavioral medicine a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine