Communicating the Consequences of Early Detection: The Role of Evidence and Framing

Abstract

Despite the enormous benefits of early-detection products, consumers are reluctant to use them. The authors explore this reluctance, testing alternative approaches to communicating the consequences of detection behaviors. The results suggest that anecdotal messages are more involving than statistical messages and that positive anecdotes (about gains from screening) are less persuasive than negative anecdotes (about the losses from failing to get screened); positive anecdotes appear to cause a "boomerang" effect. The authors discuss implications for promoting consumer risk-reduction behaviors.

How to Reduce the Effect of Framing on Messages About Health

“…In line with Kahneman and Tversky's 7,8 conclusion that people show risk aversion under gain framings and risk-seeking behaviors under loss framings, several authors 2,4,6,11,[13][14][15] suggested that gain frames might be more effective in promoting disease prevention behaviors, whereas loss frames might be more effective for disease detection behaviors. In line with this hypothesis, gain frames have been more effective when promoting exercise, 16 reduced alcohol use, 17 parental use of children's car seat restraints, 18,19 skin cancer prevention behaviors, 20,21 and use of condoms to prevent HIV 22 ; loss frames have been more effective at encouraging individuals to engage in breast self-examination, 23,24 mammography screenings, [25][26][27][28][29][30] blood-cholesterol screenings, 31 HIV screenings, 32,33 and skin cancer detection. 20,34 Finally, for decisions about surgical procedures and treatments, gain frames (probability of success or survival) induce greater compliance than loss frames (probability of failure or death 10,[35][36][37][38] ).…”

Understanding Consumer Responses to Product Risk Information

“…First, there is evidence that message framing influences consumers' moods, particularly positive moods. In depth interviews, Cox and Cox's (2001) respondents reported positive, optimistic feelings after exposure to gain-framed messages that promoted mammography and less positive moods after exposure to equivalent loss-framed messages. Similarly, Meyerowitz and Chaiken (1987, p. 506) find that gain-framed respondents were significantly more likely to report feeling "reassured."…”

Short and Sweet: The Persuasive Effects of Message Framing and Temporal Context in Antismoking Warning Labels

“…According to the extended parallel process model, messages that communicate the negative consequences of unhealthy behavior result in an appraisal of threat and can by extension evoke feelings of fear (Cox & Cox, 2001). To reduce feelings of fear, people are thought to engage in one of two courses of action.…”