How does loss-versus-gain message framing affect HPV vaccination intention? Mediating roles of discrete emotions and cognitive elaboration.

Loss and gain frames have been extensively employed to promote vaccination. However, previous studies have yet to reach a consensus on which frame is more effective. Besides, with the emotional turn in framing research, more efforts are necessitated to comprehend how affective and cognitive responses work together in framing effect. This study employed a single-factor (message framing: loss vs. gain) between-subjects online experiment to unravel the process-oriented psychological mechanism of how loss-versus-gain framing affects HPV vaccination among Chinese female college students. Results demonstrated that the direct effect of message framing on HPV vaccination intention was not significant. Additionally, neither discrete emotions nor cognitive elaboration mediated framing's effect on vaccination intention. Nevertheless, the serial mediation process with hope and cognitive elaboration as sequential mediators was significant, such that the gain-framed message activated greater hope than the loss-framed one, and hope was associated with intenser cognitive elaboration and HPV vaccination intention. Our study substantiates the importance of hope in fulfilling the framing effect and highlights the importance of simultaneously considering affective and cognitive responses in framing research. Theoretical and practical implications were further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]