The Persuasive Effects of Two Stylistic Elements: Framing and Imagery

This study explored the effects of stylistic elements, framing and imagery, on emotion, cognition, and persuasion. Frame and image were matched on valence (gain frame + positive image; loss frame + negative image) and mismatched (gain + negative image; loss + positive image) to examine whether the (mis)match amplified or attenuated message effects. Using the topic of traveling to an exotic island, an experiment (N = 455) found general support for matching in the gain-framed conditions but not in the loss-framed conditions. To the extent that valence can be useful as a basis for assessing match, it must take into account the message domain and the nature of the outcome variables. One general principle and two corollaries are proposed to serve as patches for the valence rule.