Number Size Framing Effect in Medical Decision Making

Various studies have shown that the way information is framed (positively vs negatively, gain vs loss) influences decision-making (Tversky & Kahneman, 1981; Plous, 1993; Kühberger, 1998). People favoured the option which was framed positively (gain) over the option which was framed negatively (loss) though the situation was the same. However, Wong and Kwong (2005) based on a series of experiments, found that it was the ‘number size’ that was effective, and not the positive vs. negative framing of the situations. It suggests that ‘number size framing effect’ is having better explanatory power in understanding decision-making. Considering criticality of medical decision-making, the present study involving 50 college students investigated the number size framing effect in decision-making in medical situations. It was found that participants chose an option which was in small number size difference more significantly compared to when it was in large number size difference (effect size Cohen’s d= 0.8). A study by Peng et al. (2013) has found number size effects more robust than other framing effects like risky choice, attribute and goal. Wong and Kwong (2005) demonstrated the number size framing effect using an example of basketball players’ free-throw performance and choosing a home theatre system. When the difference in an attribute is expressed in small numbers, it appears to be more significant than when it is expressed in large numbers. Further studies could be conducted in the context of various types of medical situations (diseases, treatment options, age, side effects, etc.).