코로나19 기사의 이익-손실 프레임이 개인 예방행동 의도에 미치는 영향 연구: 대처효능감 정보와 정치 성향의 조절 효과를 중심으로

Based on the prospect theory, this study examined the effect of gain vs. loss frames in COVID-19 news coverage on individuals' fear, risk perceptions, and intentions to take preventive behaviors related to COVID-19. It also analyzed how the gain/loss framing effect was moderated by the presence vs. absence of response efficacy information. Based on previous studies that showed different perceptions of COVID-19 according to individual political orientation, this study also analyzed how the framing effect was moderated by individuals’ political orientation (conservative vs. progressive). The online experiment was conducted on 310 Seoul citizens in March 2020, at the early stage of the spread of COVID-19. The results showed that participants exposed to the news article that emphasized the number of deaths due to COVID-19 (loss frame) showed the higher level of fear than those exposed to the article that emphasized the number of recovered people from the disease (gain frame). There was a significant interaction between the gain/ loss frame and the response efficacy information (presence vs. absence) on risk perceptions of COVID-19. That is, in the loss-frame condition, those who read the response efficacy information showed the higher level of risk perception, while, in the gain-frame condition, those who did not read the response efficacy information showed the higher level of risk perception regarding COVID-19. Finally, the results showed a statistically significant three-way interaction between the gain/loss frame, response efficacy information, and the political orientation of the participants on their intentions of preventive behaviors against COVID-19. The theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed.