Framing effect

Decision biases biases

The framing effect is when the same information leads to different choices depending on how it is presented—for example as a gain or a loss, or with different wording. The frame influences the decision even when the underlying facts are the same. It shows up in health, money, and policy choices.

Examples

  • "This surgery has a 90% survival rate" feels more reassuring than "This surgery has a 10% mortality rate," even though they describe the same outcome.

  • People are more likely to choose a product when it is described as "90% fat-free" than when it is described as "10% fat."

  • A policy framed as "saving 200 jobs" gets more support than one framed as "400 jobs lost out of 600," even when the net effect is the same.

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