Marketers know which framing will result in more sales. 

This is called the framing effect: a cognitive bias where people decide on options based on whether they are presented in a positive or negative way.

It is one of the largest biases in decision making, in important areas such as health care and financial decisions. Without knowing it, many of your decisions have been impacted by this bias over the years.

How to manage the framing effect

Knowledge and awareness are powerful tools to deal with cognitive biases. Some]framing effects greatly diminish and sometimes disappear when participants are given access to credible advice about how to decide.

You can apply these simple strategies order to manage the framing effect.

Consider the current frame.

If you are shopping for a product, read the marketing material and be aware of the language used to frame its benefits. Ask yourself what the marketer is trying to convey.

Are you unconsciously framing your position in a positive or a negative way? At this stage, it’s all about making a conscious effort to be aware of the current framing.

Reverse the frame. 

A simple exercise is to take the way a statement is currently framed, and to reverse it. This technique is called reversal.

Take the current frame and state it in the opposite way. For instance, “this product removes 90% of stains” can become “this product leaves 10% of stains."

Reframe the options. 

Not all decisions are binary. Sometimes, reversing the frame leaves out potential ways of considering your options.

Also consider additional, more complex alternatives. Would this option result in a loss, a gain, or maybe a neutral impact? Which aspects really matter in the case of that particular decision?

Think like an outsider. 

Take an outside view to be as impartial as possible and avoid overconfidence when reframing your options.

What would one of your family members or peers do? What if you weren’t personally impacted by the decision?