"Think" versus "feel" framing effects in persuasion

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Consumer Behavior
• Marketing Communications

Background:

• Persuasion research often examines message framing strategies.
• The effectiveness of 'think' versus 'feel' message framing is not fully understood.
• Individual differences in cognitive and affective orientations may influence message reception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the persuasive effects of 'think' versus 'feel' message framing.
• To test a matching hypothesis predicting differential effectiveness based on recipient orientation.
• To explore the mediating role of processing fluency in message framing effects.

Main Methods:

• Three studies were conducted using diverse participant groups.
• Methods included presenting participants with 'think' or 'feel' framed messages.
• Cognitive/affective orientation was measured or experimentally primed; persuasion and processing fluency were assessed.

Main Results:

• A matching effect was observed: 'Think' framing enhanced persuasion for cognitively oriented individuals.
• 'Feel' framing enhanced persuasion for affectively oriented individuals.
• Processing fluency mediated the observed matching effect in Study 2.

Conclusions:

• Message framing effectiveness is contingent on the recipient's cognitive or affective orientation.
• Aligning message frame with individual orientation enhances persuasion through improved processing fluency.
• Findings offer valuable insights for crafting targeted and effective persuasive communications.