Framing Interacts With Political Affiliation to Predict Environmentally-Relevant Purchase Preferences

David J. Hardisty, Eric J. Johnson & Elke U. WeberColumbia University

Method

Abstract

Discussion

Contact: David Hardisty, http://davidhardisty.info, djh2117@columbia.edu

• Effect of labeling strongly depended on political affiliation: Democrats did not distinguish between frames, while Republicans showed strong negative reactions to the tax label

• As predicted by Query Theory, this differential framing effect was driven by a cognitive difference in the order & balance of thoughts supporting each option

Results

References

Introduction

Results

We explored the effect of attribute framing on choice, labeling charges for environmental costs as either an earmarked tax or an offset. 582 Americans considered choices between otherwise identical products and services, in which one option included measures for canceling the emitted carbon dioxide. This framing strongly impacted preferences for self-identified Republicans and Independents, but did not affect Democrats' preferences. We explain this interaction using Query Theory and show that attribute framing can change the order in which internal queries that support one or the other choice option are posed. We also show that the effect of attribute labeling on query order depends on the representations of either taxes or offsets held by people with different political affiliations.

• CO2 taxes are politically unpalatable, yet many people voluntarily pay more for CO2 offsets

• Attribute framing may interact with individual differences: women, but not men, prefer an 80% fat-free chocolate bar to one labeled 20% fat (Braun, Gaeth & Levin, 1997)• There are strong, reliable individual differences based on political conservatism (Jost, 2006), including responsiveness to financial labels specifically (Morris, Carranza & Fox, 2008)• Query Theory (Johnson et al., 2007) suggests preferences are constructed from memory through a series of mental queries for and against each option • Hypothesis: conservative individuals will have immediate, negative thoughts in response to the tax label• Hypothesis: the ordering of thoughts affects the cognitive balance of support for each option, in turn predicting choices

Braun, K. A., Gaeth, G. J. & Levin, I. P. (1997). Framing effects with differential impact: The role of attribute salience. Advances in Consumer Research, 24, 405-411.

Jost, J. T. (2006). The end of ideology. American Psychologist, 61, 651-670. Morris, M. W., Carranza, E. & Fox, C. R. (2008). Activating conservative political

identities induces "Conservative" Financial decisions. Psychological Science, 19, 1154-1160.

Johnson, E. J., Haubl, G. & Keinan, A. (2007). Aspects of endowment: A query theory of value. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 33, 461-474.

Frame x Party

Choice

Order &Balance ofThoughts

β =0.82, p < .0001

(β = 0.59, p = .054)

Sobel Test, Order: z = 2.3, p < .05Sobel Test, Content: z = 3.0, p < .001

β =0.23, p < .05β =0.87, p < .0001

β =1.43, p < .0001β =0.84, p < .0001

• National sample of participants (Study 1 N=245, Study 2 N=337), mean age = 41 (SD=13), recruited and run online

• Ps read a description of a program which was labeled as either a carbon tax or a carbon offset (between subjects)

• Ps then made choices between pairs of otherwise identical flights, gas brands, electricity providers & computers, one of which was more expensive but included a carbon tax [offset]

• Ps then indicated whether the tax [offset] should be made mandatory for all products in that category

• In Study 2, Ps listed their thoughts before making choices, and later self-coded their thoughts

Choices

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

Democrat Independent Republican

Pro

po

rtio

n C

ho

osi

ng

th

e C

ost

lier

Pro

du

ct

Offset

Tax

Support for Regulation

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

Democrat Independent Republican

Mea

n S

up

po

rt f

or

Reg

ula

tio

n Offset

Tax

Order of Thoughts

-0.5

-0.4

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

Democrat Independent Republican

Ten

den

cy o

f T

ho

ug

hts

Su

pp

ort

ing

th

e C

ost

lier

Op

tio

n t

o A

pp

ear

Ear

lier Offset

Tax

Balance of Thoughts

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

Democrat Independent Republican

Mea

n S

up

po

rtin

g M

inu

s O

pp

ose

d T

ho

ug

hts

OffsetTax

Mediation