'Gain-framing' gets best results

Some cancer-prevention messages work better if they're framed to emphasize the benefits of a healthy behavior while others work better if they emphasize the negative, find Yale University psychologist Peter Salovey, PhD, and his colleagues.

It appears to be more effective, for example, to say that "using sunscreen is the surest way to prevent skin cancer" rather than "not using sunscreen increases your risk of cancer," they find.

Their work is based on theories developed by decision researchers Daniel Kahneman, PhD, and the late Amos Tversky, PhD, which propose two ways of framing a message. Gain-framing presents the benefits of a behavior or of avoiding a behavior, as with "not smoking will reduce your risk of lung cancer." Loss-framing presents the costs of a behavior or of avoiding a behavior, as with "smoking increases your risk of lung cancer."

Salovey and his colleagues are finding that the type of framing that works depends on the behavior they're trying to influence. In fact, the more certain it is an action will prevent cancer, the better gain framing works. And the more uncertain it is, the better loss-framing works, they find.

For example, gain framing works best with messages about using sunscreen, as reported in a recent study published in Health Psychology (Vol. 18, No. 2, p. 189_196), and about not smoking.

In contrast, loss framing works best to encourage women to go for mammograms, they find in a study now in press. In fact, 50 percent of women who received loss-framed messages about mammography--for example, "failing to detect breast cancer early will shorten you life"--in combination with an ethnically sensitive message went for a mammography in the year following the intervention.

Only 30 percent of women who heard a gain-frame message--for example, "detecting breast cancer early will save your life"--with or without the multicultural component, went for a mammography.

--B. Azar



Read our privacy statement and Terms of Use

Cover Page for this Issue

PsychNET®
© 1999 American Psychological Association

APA Home Page . Search . Site Map