Perspectives on Framing

Language comprises a major mark of humans compared with other primates and is the main vehicle for social interaction. A major characteristic of any natural language is that the same communication, idea, or intention can be articulated in different ways--in other words, the same message can be "framed" differently. The same medical treatment can be portrayed in terms chance of chance of success or chance of failure; energy reduction can be expressed in terms of savings per day or savings per year; and a task can be described as 80% completed or 20% uncompleted. In this book, contributors from a variety of disciplines--psychology, linguistics, marketing, political science, and medical decision making--come together to better understand the mechanisms underlying framing effects and assess their impact on the communication process.