The Effect of Value Framing As Approach or Avoidance on Understanding and Endorsing Values

Does the framing of value items affect how people understand them and how much they endorse the value? Research suggests that people with an approach orientation respond better to messages framed in terms of approach whereas people with an avoidance orientation respond better to messages framed in terms of avoidance. Most of the PVQ-RR items are framed in terms of approach but some of the conservation items are framed in terms of avoidance. This could affect how much people with avoidance orientation endorse or understand the values and therefore might introduce a systematic bias in responses to the questionnaire. We comprised two parallel versions of the PVQ-RR, varying in frame but not in content. Participants also completed a measure of approach vs. avoidance orientation (Study 1) or a measure of promotion vs. prevention orientation (Study 2). The different frames were not separable in Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) projections, and the space was only divided by value content. Framing did not affect the structure or importance of values in people with avoidance (or prevention) orientation, but it did affect the structure and importance of values in people with approach orientation, such that those with an approach orientation seemed to understand avoidance-framed values less well and to endorse them less. This suggests that values are more naturally understood in terms of approach. I will discuss cross-cultural implications and future directions as some cultures tend to be higher in avoidance orientation.