TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of message framing on intentions to perform health behaviors
AU - Rothman, Alexander J.
AU - Salovey, Peter
AU - Antone, Carol
AU - Keough, Kelli
AU - Martin, Chloé Drake
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - Prospect Theory proposes that people prefer taking risks to options that are certain when considering losses and prefer certainty to risk when considering gains (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979). As a result, individuals are expected to be persuaded to take risks when exposed to negatively framed messages. For instance, Meyerowitz and Chaiken (1987) demonstrated that exposure to negatively framed information promotes breast self-examination. However, the influence of message framing on other health behaviors has been inconsistent. Two studies examined the moderating effect of involvement with the health issue and type of target behavior on the influence of message framing on intentions to perform health behaviors relevant to preventing or detecting skin cancer. In our samples, women as compared to men were more concerned about sun tanning and skin cancer and therefore were considered to be more involved with this health issue. In Experiment 1, exposure to negatively framed versus positively framed messages differentially influenced the intentions of female (high involvement) and male (low involvement) subjects to obtain a skin cancer detection examination. In Experiment 2, women who read positively framed pamphlets were more likely than those who read negatively framed pamphlets to request sunscreen with an appropriate sun protection factor (a prevention behavior).
AB - Prospect Theory proposes that people prefer taking risks to options that are certain when considering losses and prefer certainty to risk when considering gains (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979). As a result, individuals are expected to be persuaded to take risks when exposed to negatively framed messages. For instance, Meyerowitz and Chaiken (1987) demonstrated that exposure to negatively framed information promotes breast self-examination. However, the influence of message framing on other health behaviors has been inconsistent. Two studies examined the moderating effect of involvement with the health issue and type of target behavior on the influence of message framing on intentions to perform health behaviors relevant to preventing or detecting skin cancer. In our samples, women as compared to men were more concerned about sun tanning and skin cancer and therefore were considered to be more involved with this health issue. In Experiment 1, exposure to negatively framed versus positively framed messages differentially influenced the intentions of female (high involvement) and male (low involvement) subjects to obtain a skin cancer detection examination. In Experiment 2, women who read positively framed pamphlets were more likely than those who read negatively framed pamphlets to request sunscreen with an appropriate sun protection factor (a prevention behavior).
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U2 - 10.1006/jesp.1993.1019
DO - 10.1006/jesp.1993.1019
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33750803633
SN - 0022-1031
VL - 29
SP - 408
EP - 433
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
IS - 5
ER -