NEW YORK ¨C Psychologists call it the ¡°framing effect¡°: Presenting the same information in different ways can influence how people respond to identical scenarios.
By allowing the Sept. 18 referendum question to be framed as ¡°Should Scotland be an independent country?¡± the U.K. government may have unwittingly skewed the outcome ¡ª in favor of a ¡°yes¡± vote.
If I offer you a burger stuffed with 25 percent fat, there¡¯s a higher chance you¡¯ll opt for the chicken salad than if my menu promises a hamburger of 75 percent lean beef. Never mind that the burgers are indistinguishable; describing objects and situations in positive terms makes them more appealing than when negative words are used.
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