TY - JOUR
T1 - Moving beyond the function of the health behaviour
T2 - The effect of message frame on behavioural decision-making
AU - Bartels, Roger D.
AU - Kelly, Kristina M.
AU - Rothman, Alexander J.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Health messages that provide gain- or loss-framed arguments have a differential impact on behavioural decision-making (Rothman & Salovey, 1997). Typically, gain-framed messages more effectively promote preventive health behaviours, which maintain health and minimise the risk of a health problem, whereas loss-framed messages more effectively promote detection behaviours, which involve the risk of finding a health problem. Two experiments tested the thesis that the risk implications of the behaviour are an important determinant of the persuasive impact of gain- and loss-framed appeals. Results revealed that when the risk associated with a health behaviour (either a prevention behaviour in Experiment 1 or a detection behaviour in Experiment 2) was low, participants responded more favourably to gain-framed messages. However, when the risk associated with the health behaviour (either prevention or detection) was high, participants responded more favourably to loss-framed messages. Discussion focuses on the importance of taking into account how individuals construe a behaviour when constructing framed appeals.
AB - Health messages that provide gain- or loss-framed arguments have a differential impact on behavioural decision-making (Rothman & Salovey, 1997). Typically, gain-framed messages more effectively promote preventive health behaviours, which maintain health and minimise the risk of a health problem, whereas loss-framed messages more effectively promote detection behaviours, which involve the risk of finding a health problem. Two experiments tested the thesis that the risk implications of the behaviour are an important determinant of the persuasive impact of gain- and loss-framed appeals. Results revealed that when the risk associated with a health behaviour (either a prevention behaviour in Experiment 1 or a detection behaviour in Experiment 2) was low, participants responded more favourably to gain-framed messages. However, when the risk associated with the health behaviour (either prevention or detection) was high, participants responded more favourably to loss-framed messages. Discussion focuses on the importance of taking into account how individuals construe a behaviour when constructing framed appeals.
KW - Detection behaviour
KW - Health communication
KW - Message framing
KW - Prevention behaviour
KW - Risk
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U2 - 10.1080/08870440902893708
DO - 10.1080/08870440902893708
M3 - Article
C2 - 20204967
AN - SCOPUS:77955898820
SN - 0887-0446
VL - 25
SP - 821
EP - 838
JO - Psychology and Health
JF - Psychology and Health
IS - 7
ER -