WSU study finds positive framing can steer shoppers toward premium products

(Press-News.org) PULLMAN, Wash. -- Consumers are more likely to choose a higher-priced item when it’s correlated with messages that emphasize an increase in the product’s positive attributes—rather than a reduction in its negative ones.

When deciding between two products, consumers don’t just compare costs, they also respond to how the relationship between the cost and product attributes is described. A new Washington State University study shows that people perceive a stronger link between price and product attributes when the relationship is framed positively.

For example, researchers presented the following scenario between the price of two pre-owned electric vehicles and their battery capacities: The first vehicle had 80% battery capacity remaining and cost $40,000, while the second had 90% capacity remaining and cost $45,000. The battery information could also be stated in terms reflecting how much battery capacity had been lost (20% vs. 10%, respectively).

The presentation offers the same information—battery capacity in relation to price—but participants were more likely to see the higher-priced vehicle as a better value when the relationship was presented as moving in the same direction, i.e. as battery capacity increases, so does the vehicle’s price.

Kunter Gunasti, associate professor of marketing in WSU’s Carson College of Business and coauthor of the study, calls this effect “relationship sign framing.”

“In simple terms, when price and product attributes are described as moving together, each extra dollar feels like it buys more benefit,” he said. “When they are described as moving in opposite directions, the connection feels weaker, nudging people toward the cheaper option. People naturally find positive relationships easier to process.”

To test the effect, the researchers ran the battery capacity experiment and several others, including evaluating new bike helmets. One scenario described the helmets in terms of the “percent of impact absorbed” (a positive relationship with price: more absorption, higher cost). The other described them by the “percent of impact transmitted to the head” (a negative relationship: less transmission, higher cost).

Gunasti said the helmets were added to show the effect applies to new as well as used products and in different product categories. Across both studies, positive framing increased preference for the higher-quality, higher-priced option.

Results were even stronger for items people bought for enjoyment, such as vacations, luxury clothing, or sports cars. In those cases, shoppers focused more on what they were gaining, which aligned with positive relationship framing effect. For practical items like dish soap, tires, or dishwashers, people paid closer attention to what they were spending, which weakened the effect.

The findings offer practical lessons for marketers. Premium brands stand to gain from framing attributes in positive terms, emphasizing how more of something justifies a higher price. Budget brands, by contrast, may benefit from negative framing that makes the link between price and product attributes feel weaker.

The research also carries lessons for everyday shoppers. According to Gunasti, positive framing doesn’t mean a product is actually better, it just changes how people perceive the value—and he advises consumers to pause and flip the description in their minds.

“If you see a positive frame while comparing two products, try thinking about how it would look in negative terms. And if you see a negative, consider the positive version,” he said.

“Looking at both sides helps you make a more informed decision.”

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