Effects of probabilities, adverse outcomes, and status quo on perceived riskiness of medications: Testing explanatory hypotheses concerning gist, worry, and numeracy

Wilhelms, Evan A.; Fraenkel, Liana; Reyna, Valerie F.

doi:10.1002/acp.3448

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…However, that does not mean that the perception of a low probability is necessarily increased or that risks are being overestimated. 63 Therefore, in contrast to the conception in some dualprocess models of emotions or intuitions at odds with advanced cognition, in FTT, getting the gist of medical information elicits emotions, and an appropriate emotional reaction reflects understanding the gist. A patient who is uncertain about a terminal outcome appropriately feels anxiety until that uncertainty is resolved.…”

Section: Connecting Mental Representations Of Options To Emotionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Supporting Health and Medical Decision Making: Findings and Insights from Fuzzy-Trace Theory

et al. 2022

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Theory—understanding mental processes that drive decisions—is important to help patients and providers make decisions that reflect medical advances and personal values. Building on a 2008 review, we summarize current tenets of fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) in light of new evidence that provides insight regarding mental representations of options and how such representations connect to values and evoke emotions. We discuss implications for communicating risks, preventing risky behaviors, discouraging misinformation, and choosing appropriate treatments. Findings suggest that simple, fuzzy but meaningful gist representations of information often determine decisions. Within minutes of conversing with their doctor, reading a health-related web post, or processing other health information, patients rely on gist memories of that information rather than verbatim details. This fuzzy-processing preference explains puzzles and paradoxes in how patients (and sometimes providers) think about probabilities (e.g., “50-50” chance), outcomes of treatment (e.g., with antibiotics), experiences of pain, end-of-life decisions, memories for medication instructions, symptoms of concussion, and transmission of viruses (e.g., in AIDS and COVID-19). As examples, participation in clinical trials or seeking treatments with low probabilities of success (e.g., with antibiotics or at the end of life) may indicate a defensibly different categorical gist perspective on risk as opposed to simply misunderstanding probabilities or failing to make prescribed tradeoffs. Thus, FTT explains why people avoid precise tradeoffs despite computing them. Facilitating gist representations of information offers an alternative approach that goes beyond providing uninterpreted “neutral” facts versus persuading or shifting the balance between fast versus slow thinking (or emotion vs. cognition). In contrast to either taking mental shortcuts or deliberating about details, gist processing facilitates application of advanced knowledge and deeply held values to choices. Highlights Fuzzy-trace theory (FTT) supports practical approaches to improving health and medicine. FTT differs in important respects from other theories of decision making, which has implications for how to help patients, providers, and health communicators. Gist mental representations emphasize categorical distinctions, reflect understanding in context, and help cue values relevant to health and patient care. Understanding the science behind theory is crucial for evidence-based medicine.

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Section: Connecting Mental Representations Of Options To Emotionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, that does not mean that the perception of a low probability is necessarily increased or that risks are being overestimated. 63…”

Section: Connecting Mental Representations Of Options To Emotionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting Health and Medical Decision Making: Findings and Insights from Fuzzy-Trace Theory

et al. 2022

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“…In an experiment examining the intention to vaccinate 1,000 Americans (Kaplan & Milstein, 2021), the participant groups were presented with varying information on the probability of side effects such as fever and arm pain, and yet no difference was found in the strength of their intention to vaccinate. Even in experiments in which the probability of experiencing serious side effects was manipulated at four levels, from 1 per 100 to 1 per 100,000, the differences in probability did not predict the acceptability of the drug (Wilhelms et al, 2018). In Wu’s (2021) experiment, contrary to prediction, the 0.027% conviction rate was more effective in reducing support for the death penalty than the 1% conviction rate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wrongful Conviction Rates and Death Penalty Support: Acceptability Hypothesis in Japan

Watamura,

Ioku

2023

Sage Open

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This study tested the hypothesis that presenting people with information about wrongful convictions that are considered an unacceptable cost of administering justice lowers support for the death penalty. We recruited 815 participants using an online crowdsourcing service in Japan, randomly assigned them to eight groups with varying combinations of presence or absence of information emphasizing losses caused by wrongful convictions and asked them to answer questions on the death penalty. Results of the preregistration experiment showed no effect of loss emphasis, but the groups provided with information on wrongful conviction rates were less likely to support the death penalty than those with no information; the higher the wrongful conviction rate, the lower was the support. This study’s findings, which replicated a previous study’s findings with non-U.S. participants, support the acceptability hypothesis and confirm the institutional and cultural universality of the effect of wrongful conviction information on public attitude toward capital punishment.

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Can degrading information about patient symptoms in vignettes alter clinical reasoning in paramedics and paramedic students? An experimental application of fuzzy trace theory

Keene¹,

Newman²,

Pammer³

2023

Australasian Emergency Care

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Effects of probabilities, adverse outcomes, and status quo on perceived riskiness of medications: Testing explanatory hypotheses concerning gist, worry, and numeracy

Cited by 7 publications

References 59 publications

Supporting Health and Medical Decision Making: Findings and Insights from Fuzzy-Trace Theory

Supporting Health and Medical Decision Making: Findings and Insights from Fuzzy-Trace Theory

Wrongful Conviction Rates and Death Penalty Support: Acceptability Hypothesis in Japan

Can degrading information about patient symptoms in vignettes alter clinical reasoning in paramedics and paramedic students? An experimental application of fuzzy trace theory

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