Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
9-2022
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g., “If you do not practice these steps, you can endanger yourself and others”) or potential gains (e.g., “If you practice these steps, you can protect yourself and others”)? Collecting data in 48 languages from 15,929 participants in 84 countries, we experimentally tested the effects of message framing on COVID-19-related judgments, intentions, and feelings. Loss- (vs. gain-) framed messages increased self-reported anxiety among participants cross-nationally with little-to-no impact on policy attitudes, behavioral intentions, or information seeking relevant to pandemic risks. These results were consistent across 84 countries, three variations of the message framing wording, and 560 data processing and analytic choices. Thus, results provide an empirical answer to a global communication question and highlight the emotional toll of loss-framed messages. Critically, this work demonstrates the importance of considering unintended affective consequences when evaluating nudge-style interventions.
Keywords
Message framing, Anxiety, Nudges, COVID-19
Discipline
Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Health Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Affective Science
Volume
3
Issue
3
First Page
577
Last Page
602
ISSN
2662-205X
Identifier
10.1007/s42761-022-00128-3
Publisher
Springer
Citation
DORISON, Charles A., et. al., , & HARTANTO, Andree.(2022). In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with little-to-no concomitant benefits: Experimental evidence from 84 countries. Affective Science, 3(3), 577-602.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3662
Copyright Owner and License
Publisher
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-022-00128-3