How do I overcome the "framing effect" when making life decisions?

Imagine you're in the grocery supermarket. You want to buy healthier choices. Which products would you likely get?

A.

20% fat yogurt

20% fat beef

B.

80% fat-free yogurt

80% lean beef

Photo by Boxed Water Is Better on Unsplash

If you answered B, then you've been influenced by the framing effect!

Both A and B refer to the same thing, but framing the yogurt as "fat-free" and beef as "lean" makes you feel like B is the better choice.

Learn how to recognize the bias of the framing effect to make better decisions!

Three main types of framing influence our everyday decisions:

1. Risky Choice Framing

This framing effect is often used in situations involving financial decisions.

When the choices are framed positively (+), you'll pick the more certain choice.

Example: You're playing a game with prizes.

• Framing A: "Win $500!"

• Framing B: "You have a chance to win $500!"

You'll likely choose A as it sounds more certain.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

When the choices are framed negatively (-), you'll pick the less risky option.

Example: You're making an investment.

• Framing A: "You'll lose $100 when put your money in that stock."

• Framing B: "You have a chance to lose $100 when you put your money in that stock."

You'll likely choose B, as it's framed as less risky.

Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

2. Attribute Framing

This framing effect is used to highlight a specific attribute and frame the choice more positively, influencing your evaluation.

Example: You're presented with an option to have surgery. Which framing will help you decide?

• Framing A: "This surgery has a 90% survival rate."

• Framing B: "This surgery has a 10% mortality rate."

The framing of A sounds more positive.

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

3. Goal Framing

This framing focuses on the consequences of the actions that you take. While both positive and negative framing can work, negative framing can have a greater persuasive impact.

Example: Someone is encouraging you to exercise.

• Framing A: "Walking every day can help reduce your risk of diseases." (+)

• Framing B: "If you don't walk every day, you have a higher chance of getting sick." (-)

Both framings can be used, but B has a better chance of encouraging you to exercise.

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

Spotting the framing effect can help you make more informed decisions — especially today, when marketing can easily sway you into products that may not be the most beneficial for you!

For example:

• You see a $10 soap that says that only 0.1% of germs survive when you use it.

• Then you also see another soap that says it kills 99.9% of germs, and it costs $25.

They're basically the same in terms of fighting germs, but you may end up paying for the higher-priced item.

Is the glass half-full or half-empty? This is how framing influences how we see things!

Photo by manu schwendener on Unsplash

To spot the framing effect:

1. Be aware.

Are things being explained to you in either a positive or negative way? Then you are being influenced by the framing effect.

2. Think through your options.

By going beyond just the surface of information presented to you, you can weigh your choices better. Check for more information and compare with other options.

3. Look at the facts.

Read the label, research, and fact-check your options to reduce bias from the framing effect. You can also rephrase both statements in neutral terms to compare.

For example:

• Dog shampoo A removes 90% of ticks, while dog shampoo B has 5% survival rate of dog ticks.

• How to compare: Phrase B using A's language: "Shampoo B removes 95% of ticks."

• This makes Soap B a better option for killing dog ticks.

Ana is a project coordinator in a company. Her team is choosing between two software tools to manage team productivity.

Her manager presents the options like this:

• Software A: “This tool has a 90% satisfaction rate among users, costs $200 yearly with additional cost for other features.

• Software B: “This tool has a 10% dissatisfaction rate among users, costs $30 monthly with all features included.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Even though both statements describe the same statistic, Ana feels more positively toward Option A because it’s framed positively. She starts advocating for Option A without checking deeper into the features, costs, or long‑term implications.

Thanks to your suggestion, Ana is reframing the info:

A. Change B's language to A: "B also has a 90% satisfaction rate."

B. Compare the yearly cost of B to A: "B is more expensive at $360."

C. Ask her teammates to vote on their preference.

D. Check how much the additional features will cost for A, because B's cost includes all features already.

Ready to overcome the framing effect to make better life decisions?