Moving from research on message framing to principles of message matching: The use of gain- and loss-framed messages to promote healthy behavior

For more than three decades, investigators have worked to generate an evidence base that can guide the strategic use of gain- and loss-framed information to promote healthy behavior. A key theme underlying these efforts has been the identification of a set of moderators—constructs that represents aspects of a person or of a situation—that regulate the effect of framed messages and enable investigators to deliver messages that are framed to match a person or situation and, thereby, maximize its persuasive effect. In this article, we examine how the adoption of a moderator-focused approach to message framing has shaped the evidence base that has emerged and offer a series of recommendations for where research should head. In particular, we consider two themes that offer opportunities to deepen our understanding of message framing effects. First, given that the effectiveness of message framing rests on investigators' ability to match a message to a person or a situation strategically, we articulate a set of principles that could inform the optimal application of message matching. Second, moving beyond the communication of framed information in pamphlets or videos, we consider how the use and influence of gain- and loss-framed statements unfolds within the context of interpersonal communication. Moving forward, we believe that engagement with these issues will advance both our understanding and use of message framing.