How does Positive Mood Moderate Message Framing Effect on Safety Communication Persuasiveness?

Abstract

A traditional view regarding message framing effect on consumers’ response to risk information shows that intentions to conduct risk preventive behaviour are generally higher when the target behaviour is communicated by loss-framing than by gain-framing. Current research argues that consumers’ incidental mood can moderate message framing effect. Specifically, the study employs full factorial experimental design to investigate how consumers respond to framed risk information under positive mood condition. The main study found that, under positive mood condition, gain-framed risk information is more effective in influencing consumers’ risk-handling behaviour than loss-framed risk information.