Experiment 1

1
The Framing Effect in Younger and Older
Adults Sunghan Kim1, David Goldstein1, Lynn
Hasher1, 2, and Rose Zacks3 1University of
Toronto, Toronto, Canada 2The Rotman Research
Institute, Toronto, Canada 3Michigan State
University
CAC 2004
Experiment 1 Will older adults be more likely to
show framing effects than younger
adults? Method Participants. 106 young adults
(age 18-25 M 20.65) and 106 older adults (age
60-78 M 67.92) participated in this
experiment. Materials. Adopted from McNeil,
Pauker, Sox, and Tversky (1982) and Wang, Simons,
and Bredart (2001). Procedure. Both young and
older adults received two problems in either
their positive or negative frame. In both
studies, young adults were tested in the
afternoon, older adults in the morning (see
Bodenhausen, 1990 for evidence of a shift in
decision strategies across the day).
Introduction Heuristic information processing
tends to increase the framing effect whereas
systematic information processing (as induced by
having participants provide a rationale for their
selection) decreases the framing effect (e.g.,
Miller Fagley, 1991 Takemura, 1993 Sieck
Yates, 1997). Older adults tend to rely on
heuristic information processing more than
systematic information processing in contrast to
younger adults who tend to rely more on
systematic processing than heuristic processing
(e.g., Johnson, 1990 Peters et al.,
2000). Hypotheses Thus, if older adults rely on
heuristic processing more than young adults who
rely more on systematic processing, then older
adults will be more likely to show framing
effects than young adults (Experiment 1). Also,
if older adults are asked to provide a rationale
for their choice, they will be less susceptible
to the framing effect and the age differences may
disappear (Experiment 2).
Experiment 2 Will older adults also shift to
using a more systematic style and show less
framing effects as young adults do if they are
asked to provide a rationale for their decisions
(e.g., Miller Fagley, 1991 Takemura, 1993
Sieck Yates, 1997)? Method Participants. 80
young adults (age 17-28 M 19.99) and 80 older
adults (age 58-77 M 67.78) participated in
this experiment. Materials. The same problems
were used. Procedure. Young and older adults
received two problems in either positive or
negative frame at their optimal time of day.
Here, participants were asked to provide a
rationale for their choice prior to actually
indicating their choice (They wrote their
rationale).
Results
Results

• Conclusion
• Older adults generally showed greater framing
  effect than younger adults.
• However, when older adults were encouraged to
  process information more systematically, the size
  of the framing effect was significantly reduced
  and the age differences disappeared.
• The data suggest that older adults are more
  likely to rely on heuristic processing than
  younger adults. However, it is demonstrated that
  when they are encouraged to process information
  more systematically, they have a capacity to do
  so and can reduce the age differences.

• Figure 1. Proportions of people choosing the
  risky option in the positive and negative frames
  for both young and older adults across the
  problems.
• Overall, older adults showed significantly
  greater framing effect than younger adults (age X
  frame condition ß 0.88, X2(1, N 424) 4.82,
  p lt .05).
• Suggests greater reliance on heuristic processing.

• Figure 2. Proportions of people choosing the
  risky option in the positive and negative frames
  for both young and older adults across the
  problems.
• Overall, there was no age effect (age X frame
  condition ß 0.35, X2(1, N 320) 0.59).
• Providing a rationale significantly reduced the
  framing effect for older adults (experimental
  condition X frame condition ß -0.91, X2(1, N
  372) 4.46, p lt .05).

References Johnson, M. M. S. (1990). Age
differences in decision making A process
methodology for examining strategic information
processing. Journal of Gerontology, 45,
75-78. McNeil, B. J., Pauker, S. G., Sox, H. C.,
Jr., Tversky, A. (1982). On the elicitation of
preferences for alternative therapies. The New
England Journal of Medicine, 306,
1259-1262. Miller, P. M., Fagley, N. S. (1991).
The effects of framing, problem variations, and
providing rationale on choice. Personality and
Social Psychology Bulletin, 17, 517-522. Peters,
E., Finucane, M. L., McGregor, D. G., Slovic,
P. (2000). The bearable lightness of aging
Judgment and decision processes in older adults.
In National Research Council. Committee on Future
Directions for Cognitive Research on Aging. P. C.
Stern L. L. Carstensen (Eds.), The Aging Mind
Opportunities in Cognitive Research (Appendix C,
pp. 144-165). Washington, DC National Academy
Press. Takemura, K. (1993). The effect of
decision frame and decision justification on
risky choice. Japanese Psychological Research,
35, 36-40. Sieck, W., Yates, J. F. (1997).
Exposition effects on decision making Choice and
confidence in choice. Organizational Behavior and
Human Decision Processes, 70, 207-219. Wang, X.
T., Simons, F., Bredart, S. (2001). Social cues
and verbal framing in risky choice. Journal of
Behavioral Decision Making, 14, 1-15.
Acknowledgement This research was supported by a
grant from the National Institute on Aging (R37
AGO4306).
Address for Correspondence Sunghan Kim,
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto,
100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3,
CANADA E-mail shkim_at_psych.utoronto.ca