Understanding the Effects of Message Framing and Approach/Avoidance Tendencies on Promoting Coping Behaviors for Caregivers Student Paper.

This study examines the effectiveness of message framing strategies, taking into account interactions with approach/avoidance tendencies (BIS/BAS), on beliefs, self-efficacy, attitudes, and intentions to engage in adaptive coping behaviors (e.g., take personal time) for parents of children with eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa, bulimia). Healthy adaptive behaviors are likely to improve both caregiver health and child recovery from an eating disorder. A threecondition (gain frame vs. loss frame vs. control) experiment provided evidence that gain frames may be more beneficial in promoting adaptive behaviors among parents of children with eating disorders, while loss frames may be harmful. Findings are qualified by interactions with approach/avoidance tendencies. This study contributes to the literature on gain and loss framing by examining framing effects on an adaptive health behavior rather than a prevention or detection behavior and by examining framing effects on a new health issue, caregiving. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]