Overview #
Framing messaging is a prominent strategy in marketing and communication that influences how individuals attend to, interpret, and respond to information. Traditionally studied in advertising, framing techniques, such as gain vs. loss and self vs. other perspectives, have garnered increasing attention in the context of environmental communication to promote pro-environmental behaviours, policy support, and attitudinal change. However, the efficacy of these strategies is highly context-dependent, with mixed findings regarding which frames are most effective in different settings.
Abstract #
This systematic literature review synthesizes findings from 537 peer-reviewed articles published between 2004 and 2024, aiming to clarify the conditions under which various message framing approaches succeed in environmental communications. Building on foundational theories from prospect theory and regulatory focus theory, this review foregrounds the role of regulatory fit – where alignment between an individual’s regulatory orientation (promotion vs. prevention focus) and message frame enhances persuasive impact- as a key moderator of framing effectiveness.
The analysis reveals that gain and loss framing do not inherently outperform one another; instead, their effectiveness depends on congruence with recipients’ motivational focus. This regulatory fit principle also extends to other framing variations, including self/other, construal levels, and psychological distance, suggesting a pervasive influence across environmental messaging strategies.
The review employed a funnel approach to literature identification, combining keyword searches across Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in a curated sample emphasizing individual behavioural outcomes in environmental contexts. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis examined trends in publication patterns, research areas, framing types, and measured outcomes.
In terms of what works for framing environmental messaging, results indicate a growing scholarly interest in environmental message framing, particularly from 2020 onwards. Gain/loss, self/other, and fear framings dominate the field, although a diversity of other frames, such as system-sanctioned and global/local, also appear. Most studies measure behavioural intentions, policy support, and willingness to pay, while actual behaviour change remains understudied.
This review underscores the importance of tailoring environmental messages to the regulatory orientations and psychological contexts of audiences to maximize impact. It further identifies a critical research gap concerning environmental communication on actual and sustained behavioural change. Future research should explore this underexamined outcome to better inform.
Access #
Dr. Jennifer Lynes – University of Waterloo (jklynes@uwaterloo.ca)
Location #
n/a
Keywords #
Message framing, communication, climate change, sustainability, WSMC conference 2025
