| This study examined the effect of message framing to promote sleep behaviors. Participants (N = 156) were randomly assigned to read either a gain- or loss-framed message. The gain-framed message focused on the benefits of sufficient sleep duration and good sleep quality, and the loss-framed message focused on the costs of insufficient sleep duration and poor sleep quality. Participants' motivational orientation (the extent to which they seek out positive outcomes or avoid negative outcomes) and sleep behavior were assessed at baseline. Potential mediational measures were assessed including time participants spent reading the message, recall of message content, and the extent to which participants elaborated on the message. Before participants left the lab, they reported their sleep-related intentions for the following week. One week later, participants reported their sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep hygiene behaviors. Contrary to my hypothesis, a gain-framed message did not promote sleep intentions, sleep duration, sleep quality, or sleep hygiene behaviors better than a loss-framed message. Further, inconsistent with my prediction, motivational orientation did not moderate message framing effects on sleep behaviors. Because there was no effect of message framing or the interaction of motivational orientation and message framing on sleep behaviors, mediational effects were not examined. The results of the present study suggest that a gain-framed message was not more effective at promoting sleep behaviors than a loss-framed message. Perhaps, sleep is too complex of a behavior for such a subtle manipulation as message framing. |
