Framing Effect

The framing effect occurs when question are presented in a way that some options are presented as positive and others are presented as negative. The respondent will tend to select the options that are presented “framed” in a positive light.

Example

For example, in testing purchasing habits a retailer may find that an item being sold at “half off the original price of $125” might do better than the same item listed just at fifty dollars, even though the “discounted” item ends up costing more. “Half price” tends to be viewed as better than “full price” despite the actual price.