How Reframing Affects Confidence in Complex Decisions: Evidence from Behavioral Measures and Decisional Styles

Background/Objectives: This research examined the impact of reframing on decision confidence and its link with individual decision-making styles in a sample of healthy adults. Methods: Participants completed a Resistance to Reframe Task, which involved two decision-making steps. In each step, they chose the best option from four alternatives for a workplace situation and rated their confidence in the decision. Then, the task was reframed to highlight the negative consequences of their initial choice, and they reassessed their confidence. Confidence scores and reaction times (RTs) were recorded for the confidence ratings of each step. The General Decision-Making Style (GDMS) and Maximization Scale (MS) were also used to profile decision-making styles and explore their links to behavioral responses. Results: Findings demonstrated that reframing significantly reduces participants' confidence, particularly in the first step, highlighting its effectiveness in challenging initial choices. Additionally, higher RTs after reframing emphasize the cognitive complexity introduced by the change of perspective and allows us to describe the dynamic of the decision-making process. Correlational findings suggested that while some traits (e.g., dependent style) reduce confidence after the reframing, others (e.g., high standards, decision difficulty) seem to reinforce it. Similarly, decision-making style as MS alternative search increases RTs, reflecting the heightened complexity of reframed decision contexts. Conclusions: The results underscored the importance of considering confidence in the decision and individual differences when studying decision-making under reframing conditions. Individual differences in decision-making styles may act as protective or vulnerability factors to reframe in decision-making processes.