A New Paradigm For Studying The Economic And Behavioral Consequences Of Framing Health-Related Decisions

Traditional attribute framing effects occur when the same object is evaluated differently depending on whether a particular attribute is labeled or framed in positive or negative terms.  For example, in one of our earlier studies, “80% lean ground beef” was evaluated more favorably and was “worth” 8 cents more per pound than “20% fat ground beef.”  In the present study of health-related judgments and decisions, attribute framing effects were extended to situations where consumers had to infer framing valence depending on whether one’s health status was described in comparison to a lower standard or a higher standard of reference.  For example, a person’s health status was rated higher when the same level of vitamin intake was stated in terms of its distance above an established low-protection level compared to when it was stated in terms of its distance below an established high-protection level

The Integration of Self-Descriptions and Descriptions by Outside References in the Evaluation of Job Applicants

A study was conducted to determine how different types of information are combined to arrive at evaluations of hypothetical job applicants. Sixty subjects were asked to evaluate nine applicants for the position of elementary school principal. The information describing each applicant included a letter of self-description and from one to three letters from outside references. Results can be summarized as follows: (1) evaluative ratings of job applicants were directly related to the value (level of favorability) of the information contained in the outside letters of reference and the value of the information contained in the self-description; (2) the greater the number of favorable outside letters, the higher was the evaluation; (3) the relative weight or importance of a given self-description or outside reference was dependent upon the other pieces of information with which it was combined. A mathematical model which assumes that subjects average the values of the various types of information provided a good description of the applicant evaluation process

Multiplicative and Additive Processes in the Subjective Evaluation of Travel Expense

Subjects were asked to make absolute judgments and relative ratings of travel expense for a series of hypothetical trips described by varying levels of distance to be travelled, gasoline price, and expected gas mileage. In Experiment 1, intuitive estimates of cost in dollars followed a multiplicative model analogous to the rational model but allowing individual differences in evaluating and weighting stimulus factors. In Experiment 2, subjective ratings of relative expense followed an additive model. An additive model implies that an extreme value of one factor will be balanced by more neutral values of other factors, whereas a multiplicative model implies that a single extreme value will have an exaggerated effect. Two interpretations of these disparate findings were considered: either the underlying information integration process differed as a function of how the information was to be used, or response differences were due to transformations of the internal responses to the overt response scale. Experiment 3, in which subjects were required to make both kinds of evaluations, ruled out the response transformation interpretation

A New Paradigm For Studying The Economic And Behavioral Consequences Of Framing Health-Related Decisions

Traditional attribute framing effects occur when the same object is evaluated differently depending on whether a particular attribute is labeled or framed in positive or negative terms. For example, in one of our earlier studies, 80% lean ground beef was evaluated more favorably and was worth 8 cents more per pound than 20% fat ground beef. In the present study of health-related judgments and decisions, attribute framing effects were extended to situations where consumers had to infer framing valence depending on whether ones health status was described in comparison to a lower standard or a higher standard of reference. For example, a persons health status was rated higher when the same level of vitamin intake was stated in terms of its distance above an established low-protection level compared to when it was stated in terms of its distance below an established high-protection level

Averaging and Set-Size Effects in Selecting Groups of Movies for a Film Festival

This paper deals with the set-size effect in information processing: the study of how subjective judgments and impressions based on sets of information vary as a function of the amount of information in the set. Subjects rated each of a series of popular old movies to be used in assembling a college film festival. They then rated intact groups of movies of various size and indicated how much money should be spent for each group. Group ratings and money allocations were examined as a function of group size. Group ratings were found to increase in polarity and money allocations were found to increase as the number of movies in the group increased. This supports the general conclusion that the greater the amount of information presented, the more extreme the response. The set-size function in each case was negatively accelerated (i.e., subject to a law of diminishing returns). These results can best be described by an averaging model in which the value of each movie in a group is averaged with an initial neutral expectancy

The combined role of task, child’s age and individual differences in understanding decision processes

It is important to understand the impact of individual differences in decision making from childhood to adulthood. This cohort-based study extends our knowledge by comparing decision making of children across the age range of 8 to 17 years and their parents. Based on prior research and theory focusing on different types of framing effects, we uncover several key differences across ages, including levels of risk taking and sensitivity to expected value differences between risky and riskless choices. Furthermore, we find that measures such as Numeracy and Surgency help explain both age-related and individual differences on our tasks, especially for decisions involving risk. We discuss the role of diverse task measures in understanding how individual difference factors affect different aspects of decision making, including the ability and effort to process numerical information and the ability to suppress affective reactions to stimulus labels

How Do I Get There From Here? Attitudes Toward Different Modes of Transportation

The acceptance of multiple-occupant modes of transportation such as buses and carpools is an important factor in energy conservation. Two experiments are reported which show how attitudes toward different modes of transportation are influenced by interpersonal factors. Experiment 1 showed that individuals perceive differences in the characteristics of people who use different modes and that these differences are related to their own transportation preferences. Experiment 2 showed that the sex of each potential rider and whether or not each rider is an acquaintance of the respondent are important factors in carpooling. The implications of such results to policy makers are discussed

Time Preferences Predict Mortality among HIV-Infected Adults Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Kenya

Background: Identifying characteristics of HIV-infected adults likely to have poor treatment outcomes can be useful for targeting interventions efficiently. Research in economics and psychology suggests that individuals’ intertemporal time preferences, which indicate the extent to which they trade-off immediate vs. future cost and benefits, can influence various health behaviors. While there is empirical support for the association between time preferences and various non-HIV health behaviors and outcomes, the extent to which time preferences predict outcomes of those receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not been examined previously. Methods: HIV-infected adults initiating ART were enrolled at a health facility in Kenya. Participants’ time preferences were measured at enrollment and used to classify them as having either a low or high discount rate for future benefits. At 48 weeks, we assessed mortality and ART adherence, as measured by Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS). Logistic regression models adjusting for socio-economic characteristics and risk factors were used to determine the association between time preferences and mortality as well as MEMS adherence ≥90%. Results: Overall, 44% (96/220) of participants were classified as having high discount rates. Participants with high discount rates had significantly higher 48-week mortality than participants with low discount rates (9.3% vs. 3.1%; adjusted odds ratio 3.84; 95% CI 1.03, 14.50). MEMS adherence ≥90% was similar for participants with high vs. low discount rates (42.3% vs. 49.6%, AOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.40, 1.25). Conclusion: High discount rates were associated with significantly higher risk of mortality among HIV-infected patients initiating ART. Greater use of time preference measures may improve identification of patients at risk of poor clinical outcomes. More research is needed to further identify mechanisms of action and also to build upon and test the generalizability of this finding

Research cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in end stage renal disease - incidence, significance and implications of unexpected incidental findings

Objectives: Left ventricular mass (LVM) at cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a frequent end point in clinical trials in nephrology. Trial participants with end stage renal disease (ESRD) may have a greater frequency of incidental findings (IF). We retrospectively investigated prevalence of IF in previous research CMR and reviewed their subsequent impact on participants. Methods: Between 2002 and 2006, 161 ESRD patients underwent CMR in a transplant assessment study. Images were used to assess LV mass and function. In the current study a radiologist reviewed the scans for IF. Review of patient records determined the subsequent clinical significance of IF. Results: There were 150 IF in 95 study participants. Eighty-four (56 %) were new diagnoses. One hundred and two were non-cardiac. Fifteen were suspicious of malignancy. There was a clinically significant IF for 14.9 % of the participants. In six cases earlier identification of an IF may have improved quality of life or survival. Conclusions: Without radiology support clinically important IF may be missed on CMR. Patients undergoing CMR in trials should be counselled about the frequency and implications of IF. Patients with ESRD have a higher prevalence of IF than reported in other populations. Nephrology studies require mechanisms for radiologist reporting and strategies for dealing with IF