The framing effect is the phenomenon where people respond differently to the same information depending on how it is presented — the frame — rather than its actual content.

Classic Experiment

Kahneman and Tversky presented subjects with a disease outbreak scenario:

• Frame A: "Program A saves 200 lives." — Most people chose this.
• Frame B: "Program A results in 400 deaths." — Most people rejected this.

The outcomes are mathematically identical. The frame changed the decision.

Framing in the Wild

• Marketing: "95% fat-free" vs. "contains 5% fat" — same product, different perception
• Medicine: "10% mortality rate" vs. "90% survival rate" changes how risky a procedure feels
• Politics: "Estate tax" vs. "death tax" — identical policy, opposite emotional reactions

Defense

Reframe every important decision in multiple ways before acting. Translate every percentage into the alternative way of stating it.

Reference:

Wikipedia: Framing Effect

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_effect_(psychology)