August 19, 2021 EXPO 2021 Poster

The Impact of Framing on Decision-Making in the Context of COVID-19

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.22.6″][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title author=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”3.23.3″ title_font=”Standard||||||||” title_text_color=”#ffffff” title_font_size=”61px” title_line_height=”1.3em” meta_font=”Standard2||||||||” meta_text_color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding=”||60px” title_font_size_tablet=”39px” title_font_size_phone=”28px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone”][/et_pb_fullwidth_post_title][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.23.3″ max_width=”1221px”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_image src=”https://thenurj.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1-Abigail-Furdak.jpg” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|phone” module_id=”circle-image” _builder_version=”3.23.3″ width=”40%” width_tablet=”26%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ text_font=”Standard2||||||||” text_font_size=”27px” min_height=”40px” custom_padding=”18px||”]Abigail Furdak[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ inline_fonts=”Times New Roman”]

Adviser: Professor Eric Schulz
Subject: Social Sciences
DOI: 10.21985/n2-vdp8-mt54

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Abigail graduated from Northwestern in 2021 with a major in Economics and minors in Business Institutions and Political Science. She completed the research project “The Impact of Framing on Decision-Making in the Context of COVID-19” for her honors thesis in Economics. Outside of class, she was involved in Northwestern Capital Management and the Club Tennis team. She grew up in the Boston area.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.23.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ text_font=”Standard2|600|||||||” text_font_size=”25px”]Abstract[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.23.3″ text_font=”Times New Roman||||||||” text_font_size=”19px” text_line_height=”1.5em”]Through framing, identical information can be portrayed in different ways. Existing literature finds that receiving positively framed information makes people more risk-averse than receiving negatively framed information, but disagreement remains on the strength of this effect and the conditions under which it occurs. In this study, 503 participants were surveyed about their willingness to go out to dinner during the COVID-19 pandemic given three infection probabilities: 2.75%, 5.50%, and 8.25%. Responses were collected in February and March 2021. Subjects either received a negative frame survey, which provided the likelihood of becoming infected with COVID-19 at the dinner, a positive frame survey, which outlined the chance of staying safe from the virus upon going out, or a relationship frame survey, which gave the probability of exposing one’s household to COVID-19 after the meal. Participant decisions were compared across frames using regression models. The regressions controlled for demographic variables such as pre-existing medical conditions, age, and political affiliation. Results indicate that receiving the positive frame significantly increases the probability of dining out relative to receiving the negative frame for the 5.50% and 8.25% infection risk levels. This risk-seeking behavior under the positive frame contrasts with prior research. The current study also demonstrates that for all three infection risks analyzed, receiving the relationship frame significantly decreases the likelihood of going out compared with receiving the negative frame. Risk-aversion under the relationship frame aligns with previous research and the theory of illusory superiority. Throughout the remainder of COVID-19 and in future pandemics, public health officials could employ relationship framing to inspire risk-aversion and potentially save lives.
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