Framing Effect

The Framing Effect refers to the cognitive bias where people react to a particular choice depending on how it is presented or framed. This phenomenon highlights that the same information can lead to different decisions based on its wording or context. Essentially, the framing of a situation can significantly influence perception and judgment.

For example, consider the following scenarios:

  • If a medical treatment has a 70% success rate, patients may feel more positive about it compared to saying it has a 30% failure rate, even though both statements convey the same information.
  • A product advertised as having 90% satisfaction from customers may be perceived more favorably than one described as having 10% dissatisfaction, despite identical underlying statistics.

In a study on consumer choices, participants were more likely to choose a burger labeled as having 20% fewer calories rather than one described as having 80% of the calories, despite the same caloric content.