The role of attention in framing: How question valence attenuates attribute framing bias

The term attribute framing bias refers to individuals' tendency to evaluate objects or events more favorably when they are framed positively (e.g., "75% success") than when the same information is framed negatively (e.g., "25% failure"). Previous findings show that individuals evaluate information more favorably when asked questions with positive valence (e.g., "how good?") compared with questions with negative valence (e.g., "how bad?"). The current article examines whether and to what extent question valence attenuates attribute framing bias when information is displayed in text and graphs. Three experiments consistently show a significant effect of attribute framing with more favorable evaluations for positive compared with negative framing, and an effect of question valence with more favorable evaluations for positive compared with negative question valence. Critically, while question valence reduced attribute framing bias for textual presentation, it eliminated attribute framing bias when the information was presented graphically. We propose that attentional mechanisms account for these findings. Specifically, attribute framing bias reflects an attention shift toward the positive or negative frame presented explicitly in the scenario, while neglecting the implicit complementary information. A question with conflicting valence shifts attention to the implicit information, consequently reducing the bias. The attenuating effect of question valence is stronger and eliminates the bias, when information is presented graphically because the complementary attribute is visually available. We discuss the implications of using question valence to mitigate framing effects and biases in judgment and decision making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).