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In COVID-19 Health Messaging, Loss Framing Increases Anxiety with Little-to-No Concomitant Benefits: Experimental Evidence from 84 Countries.

Authors :
Dorison CA
Lerner JS
Heller BH
Rothman AJ
Kawachi II
Wang K
Rees VW
Gill BP
Gibbs N
Ebersole CR
Vally Z
Tajchman Z
Zsido AN
Zrimsek M
Chen Z
Ziano I
Gialitaki Z
Ceary CD
Lin Y
Kunisato Y
Yamada Y
Xiao Q
Jiang X
Du X
Yao E
Wilson JP
Cyrus-Lai W
Jimenez-Leal W
Law W
Collins WM
Richard KL
Vranka M
Ankushev V
Schei V
Križanić V
Kadreva VH
Adoric VC
Tran US
Yeung SK
Hassan W
Houston R
Lima TJS
Ostermann T
Frizzo T
Sverdrup TE
House T
Gill T
Fedotov M
Paltrow T
Jernsäther T
Koptjevskaja-Tamm M
Hostler TJ
Ishii T
Szaszi B
Adamus S
Suter L
Habib S
Studzinska A
Stojanovska D
Janssen SMJ
Stieger S
Schulenberg SE
Tatachari S
Azouaghe S
Sorokowski P
Sorokowska A
Song X
Lewis SC
Sinkolova S
Grigoryev D
Drexler SM
Daches S
Geniole SN
Vračar S
Massoni S
Zorjan S
Sarıoğuz E
Izquierdo SM
Alves SG
Pöntinen S
Solas SÁ
Ordoñez-Riaño S
Očovaj SB
Onie S
Lins S
Çoksan S
Sacakli A
Ruiz-Fernández S
Geiger SJ
FatahModares S
Walczak RB
Betlehem R
Vilar R
Cárcamo R
Ross RM
McCarthy R
Ballantyne T
Westgate EC
Afhami R
Ren D
Monteiro RP
Reips UD
Reggev N
Calin-Jageman RJ
Pourafshari R
Oliveira R
Nedelcheva-Datsova M
Rahal RM
Ribeiro RR
Radtke T
Searston R
Habte R
Zdybek P
Chen SC
Maturan PLG
Perillo JT
Isager PM
Kačmár P
Macapagal PM
Szwed P
Hanel PHP
Forbes PAG
Arriaga P
Paris B
Papachristopoulos K
Correa PS
Kácha O
Bernardo M
Campos O
Bravo ON
Galindo-Caballero OJ
Ogbonnaya CE
Bialobrzeska O
Kiselnikova N
Simonovic N
Cohen N
Nock NL
Johannes N
Albayrak-Aydemir N
Say N
Torunsky N
Van Doren N
Sunami N
Rachev NR
Majeed NM
Schmidt ND
Nadif K
Corral-Frías NS
Ouherrou N
Pantazi M
Lucas MY
Vasilev MR
Ortiz MV
Butt MM
Kabir M
Muda R
Tejada Rivera MDCM
Sirota M
Seehuus M
Parzuchowski M
Toro M
Hricova M
Maldonado MA
Marszalek M
Karekla M
Mioni G
Bosma MJ
Westerlund M
Vdovic M
Bialek M
Silan MA
Anne M
Misiak M
Grinberg M
Capizzi M
Espinoza Barría MF
Kurfali MA
Mensink MC
Harutyunyan M
Khosla M
Korbmacher M
Adamkovič M
Ribeiro MFF
Terskova M
Hruška M
Martončik M
Voracek M
Čadek M
Frías-Armenta M
Kowal M
Topor M
Roczniewska M
Oosterlinck M
Kohlová MB
Paruzel-Czachura M
Romanova M
Papadatou-Pastou M
Lund ML
Antoniadi M
Jones MV
Ortiz MS
Manavalan M
Muminov A
Kossowska M
Friedemann M
Wielgus M
Varella MAC
Colloff MF
Bradford M
Vaughn LA
Eudave L
Vieira L
Pineda LMS
Pérez LC
Lazarevic LB
Jaremka LM
Kushnir E
Anton-Boicuk L
de Holanda Coelho GL
Ahlgren L
Levitan CA
Micheli L
Volz L
Stojanovska M
Boucher L
Samojlenko L
Delgado LGJ
Kaliska L
Warmelink L
Rojas-Berscia LM
Yu K
Wachowicz J
Desai K
Barzykowski K
Kozma L
Evans K
Kirgizova K
Agesin BE
Koehn MA
Wolfe K
Korobova T
Klevjer K
van Schie K
Vezirian K
Damnjanović K
Thommesen KK
Schmidt K
Filip K
Grzech K
Hoyer K
Moon K
Rana K
Janjić K
Suchow JW
Kielińska J
Cruz Vásquez JE
Beitner J
Vargas-Nieto JC
Roxas JCT
Taber J
Urriago-Rayo J
Pavlacic JM
Bavolar J
Soto JA
Olofsson JK
Vilsmeier JK
Messerschmidt J
Czamanski-Cohen J
Boudesseul J
Lee JM
Kamburidis J
Zickfeld J
Miranda JF
Verharen JPH
Hristova E
Beshears JE
Đorđević JM
Bosch J
Valentova JV
Antfolk J
Berkessel JB
Schrötter J
Urban J
Röer JP
Norton JO
Silva JR
Pickering JS
Vintr J
Uttley J
Kunst JR
Ndukaihe ILG
Iyer A
Vilares I
Ivanov A
Ropovik I
Sula I
Sarieva I
Metin-Orta I
Prusova I
Pinto I
Bozdoc AI
Almeida IAT
Pit IL
Dalgar I
Zakharov I
Arinze AI
Ihaya K
Stephen ID
Gjoneska B
Brohmer H
Flowe H
Godbersen H
Kocalar HE
Hedgebeth MV
Chuan-Peng H
Sharifian M
Manley H
Akkas H
Hajdu N
Azab H
Kaminski G
Nilsonne G
Anjum G
Travaglino GA
Feldman G
Pfuhl G
Czarnek G
Marcu GM
Hofer G
Banik G
Adetula GA
Bijlstra G
Verbruggen F
Kung FYH
Foroni F
Singer G
Muchembled F
Azevedo F
Mosannenzadeh F
Marinov E
Štrukelj E
Etebari Z
Baskin E
Garcia EOL
Musser E
van Steenkiste IMM
Ahn ER
Pronizius E
Jackson EA
Manunta E
Agadullina E
Šakan D
Dursun P
Dujols O
Dubrov D
Willis M
Tümer M
Beaudry JL
Popović D
Dunleavy D
Djamai I
Krupić D
Vega D
Du H
Mola D
Davis WE
Holford DL
Lewis DMG
Vaidis DC
Ozery DH
Ricaurte DZ
Storage D
Sousa D
Alvarez DS
Rosa AD
Krupić D
Marko D
Moreau D
Reeck C
Correia RC
Whitt CM
Lamm C
Solorzano CS
von Bastian CC
Sutherland CA
Overkott C
Aberson CL
Wang C
Karashiali C
Noone C
Chiu F
Picciocchi C
Karaarslan C
Cellini N
Esteban-Serna C
Reyna C
Batres C
Li R
Grano C
Carpentier J
Tamnes CK
Fu CHY
Ishkhanyan B
Bylinina L
Jaeger B
Bundt C
Allred TB
Bokkour A
Bogatyreva N
Chopik WJ
Antazo B
Behzadnia B
Becker M
Cocco B
Chou WL
Hubena B
Žuro B
Aczel B
Baklanova E
Bai H
Balci BB
Babinčák P
Dixson BJW
Mokady A
Kappes HB
Atari M
Szala A
Szabelska A
Aruta JJB
Domurat A
Arinze NC
Modena A
Adiguzel A
Monajem A
Arabi KAE
Özdoğru AA
Olaya Torres AJ
Theodoropoulou A
Jurković AP
Kassianos AP
Findor A
Hartanto A
Thibault Landry A
Ferreira A
Santos AC
De la Rosa-Gomez A
Gourdon-Kanhukamwe A
Todsen AL
Karababa A
Janak A
Bran A
Tullett AM
Kuzminska AO
Krafnick AJ
Urooj A
Khaoudi A
Ahmed A
Groyecka-Bernard A
Askelund AD
Adetula A
Belaus A
Charyate AC
Wichman AL
Stoyanova A
Greenburgh A
Thomas AG
Arvanitis A
Forscher PS
Mallik PR
Primbs MA
Miller JK
Moshontz H
Urry HL
IJzerman H
Basnight-Brown DM
Chartier CR
Buchanan EM
Coles NA
Source :
Affective science [Affect Sci] 2022 Sep 26; Vol. 3 (3), pp. 577-602. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Sep 26 (Print Publication: 2022).
Publication Year :
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.<br />Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no conflict of interest.<br /> (© The Society for Affective Science 2022.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2662-205X
Volume :
3
Issue :
3
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Affective science
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
36185503
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-022-00128-3