Did the wording quietly change my decision?
Framing effects
Different descriptions of the same choice can change what people prefer. Which outcomes are foregrounded matters.
An everyday example
“Eight of ten checks passed” and “two of ten checks failed” describe the same fictional test. Either sentence alone can steer the discussion.
Original illustration, not an observed participant case.
Where the idea stops
A change of wording is not always a framing effect: the underlying options and facts must be compared too.
Something to try
Rewrite a recommendation using both the benefits and the losses. Check whether your choice changes without new evidence.
Practise on a fictional case →Go deeper: the builder’s view
For builders: retain the user’s goal and alternatives alongside a recommendation. Do not present an AI-generated framing as the only possible objective.
Source and interpretation
This is a plain-language interpretation with an applied example; it is not a quotation or an endorsement from the source.
Tversky & Kahneman — The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice (1981) ↗Catalog v0.1 · checked 2026-10-29