Testing temporal frames of colorectal cancer risks: evidence from randomized online experiments.

Area of Science:

• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Cancer Prevention

Background:

• Low perceived risk of disease is linked to reduced engagement in preventive behaviors.
• Temporal framing, or presenting information within narrower time frames, may increase perceived risk and behavioral intentions.
• Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is crucial for early detection and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how temporal framing of risk information influences risk perception and preventive behaviors for colorectal cancer (CRC).
• To examine the impact of framing CRC incidence as yearly, daily, or hourly on information-seeking and comprehension.

Main Methods:

• Two online experiments were conducted with 902 adults aged 45-54 from an English online panel.
• Study 1 compared yearly and daily frames for CRC mortality vs. incidence.
• Study 2 framed CRC incidence as yearly, daily, or hourly, measuring risk perception, behavioral intentions, and information engagement.

Main Results:

• Study 1 found no significant difference in intentions based on framing risk as developing vs. dying from CRC.
• Study 2 showed that framing CRC incidence as 'daily' increased information-seeking behavior compared to 'yearly' or 'hourly' frames (57.4% vs. 45.9%/45.6%).
• However, the 'daily' framing group had lower comprehension scores (69.9%) compared to 'yearly' (78.2%) and 'hourly' (85.0%) frames.

Conclusions:

• Temporal framing of CRC risk information did not alter perceived risk or intentions for preventive behaviors.
• Framing risk information on a daily basis may increase engagement with health information but can negatively impact comprehension.
• Future interventions should consider the trade-offs between engagement and understanding when using temporal framing for health risks.