Introduction to Cognitive Psychology - Department of Psychological ...

Greg Francis 1/7/11Framing effects!! So Parent B is the choice to award custodyand to deny custody!!but one necessarily precludes the other!!! Subjects are biased by the task at hand!!focus on different characteristics depending onwhether they are considering awarding ordenyingFraming effects!! Your decisions are influenced by the way aset of choices is presented!! The Asian disease problem!!two versions, essentially the same!!lead to different choicesPurdue UniversityPurdue UniversityVersion 1: Saving frame!! Imagine that the US is preparing for the outbreak ofan unusual Asian disease, which is expected to kill600 people. Two alternative programs to combatthe disease have been proposed. Assume that theexact scientific estimates of the consequences ofthe programs are as follows:!! If program A is adopted, 200 people will be saved.72%!! If program B is adopted, there is a 1/3 probabilitythat 600 people will be saved and a 2/3 probabilitythat no people will be saved.Version 2: Dying frame!! Imagine that the US is preparing for the outbreak ofan unusual Asian disease, which is expected to kill600 people. Two alternative programs to combatthe disease have been proposed. Assume that theexact scientific estimates of the consequences ofthe programs are as follows:!! If program A is adopted, 400 people will die.!! If program B is adopted, there is a 1/3 probabilitythat nobody will die and a 2/3 probability that 600people will die. 78%Purdue UniversityPurdue UniversityChoices and framing!! The two problems are essentiallyidentical, except that the choices arephrased differently!!200 people saved = 400 people dead!!2/3 probability that no one is saved = 2/3probability that 600 will die!! But the phrasing makes a difference inthe choices of subjects!!why?Purdue UniversityRisks!! Risk corresponds to those events thatoccur with probability!!will I like the next movie starring Matt Damon?!!will I live to be 50?!!will the dice show double sixes?!! Events that occur with certainty are withoutrisk!!the sun will rise tomorrow!!I will be older tomorrow!!I will give you an A if your grade is 90 or abovePurdue UniversityPSY200 Cognitive Psychology 2