Framing

Abstract

The concept of framing, experimental evidence supporting framing effects, and models and theories of decision-making sensitive to framing play important roles in policy analysis. First, they are used to caution about various elements of uncertainty that are introduced through framing into policy interventions. Second, framing is often referred to in order to justify certain policy interventions, as framing effects are often seen as sources of irrationality in need of correction. Third, framing effects are often used as instruments for policy-making, as they are seen as effective ways to influence behaviour. This review discusses the different concepts of framing, surveys some of the experimental evidence, describes the dominant descriptive theories and the main attempts to assess the rationality or irrationality of behaviour sensitive to framing in order to clarify how exactly framing is relevant for policy making.