Framing

How much does the way a product is presented affect consumers' perceptions of that product?


One study sought to answer that question. The researchers told the participants that they are tasting ground beef. Half the participants were told they are tasting 25% fat ground beef, while the other half was told they are tasting 75% lean ground beef. Also, half of these were told before they tasted the meat and half were told after they had tasted the meat. (Note that this is the same meat, just represented in two different ways.)


The participants were then asked to rate the meat on several factors (taste, greasiness, quality, and lean vs. fat). 


The researchers found that it didn't matter whether the participants received the label before or after tasting the meat. What did make a difference was whether the meat was framed in a positive light (75% lean) or a negative light (25% fat). Those that were told the meat was 75% lean were more likely to rate the meat favorably, while the ones who were given the negative framing of the meat tended to rate the meat less favorably. 

Levin, I. P., & Gaeth, G. J.  (1988).  Framing of attribute information before and after consuming the product.  Journal of Consumer Research, 15, 374-378.