Healthy Kids: Examining the Effect of Message Framing and Polarity on Children's Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions

Abstract

Should we ask children to be “more healthy” or “less unhealthy”? Drawing from both prospect and psycholinguistic theory, we manipulate the framing (gain versus loss) and linguistic polarity (affirmation versus negation) of a child-directed health message. Results from two experiments demonstrate that, in a behavioral adoption context, a message employing gain framing or affirmation leads to more positive attitudes and greater intention to adopt the target behavior; while in a behavioral cessation context, messages utilizing loss framing or negation are most effective. Results also indicate a developmental-based boundary for message polarity, with effects not observed for younger children.