Examining the Role of Exposure to Incongruent Messages on the Effect of Message Framing in an Intern...

<jats:p> This study examines the effects of exposure to messages incongruent with one’s motivational orientation. In a factorial design with regulatory orientation and message frame as independent variables, participants ( N = 106) conducted an information search on a web program. Participants selected online information that was congruent with their activated motivational orientation. Compatibility effects resulted in promotion orientation/gain frame and prevention orientation/loss frame participants reporting more favorable attitudes than promotion orientation/loss frame and prevention orientation/gain frame participants irrespective of exposure to messages incongruent with the activated motivational orientation. A similar pattern of results occurred with message recall. For behavioral intention, significant differences occurred for only the promotion orientation condition where gain-framed messages elicited greater behavioral intentions than the loss-framed message. </jats:p>