In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with little-to-no concomitant benefits: experimental evidence from 84 countries

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.

Metadata

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	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, U-D Reggev, N Calin-Jageman, RJ Pourafshari, R Oliveira, R Nedelcheva-Datsova, M Rahal, R-M Ribeiro, RR Radtke, T Searston, R Habte, R Zdybek, P Chen, S-C 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, N-D Nadif, K Corral-Frías, NS Ouherrou, N Pantazi, M Lucas, MY Vasilev, MR Ortiz, MV Butt, MM Kabir, M Muda, R Tejada Rivera, MDCMC 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 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8080-3473 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 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0667-2460 Sutherland, CAM 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, W-L 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, KAITEL 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
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:	© The Society for Affective Science 2022. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Affective Science. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Keywords:	Message framing; Anxiety; Nudges; COVID-19
Dates:	Published: September 2022 Published (online): 26 September 2022 Accepted: 29 May 2022
Institution:	The University of Sheffield
Academic Units:	The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Architecture (Sheffield)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Sheffield
Date Deposited:	14 Oct 2022 13:43
Last Modified:	26 Sep 2023 00:13
Status:	Published
Publisher:	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Refereed:	Yes
Identification Number:	10.1007/s42761-022-00128-3
Related URLs:	PubMed URL
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID):	oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:192037

CORE (COnnecting REpositories)

In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with little-to-no concomitant benefits: experimental evidence from 84 countries

Abstract

Metadata

Download

Accepted Version

Export

Statistics