Gain vs. Loss Framing in Rational and Emotional Appeals: Effects on Consumer Attitudes, Reactance, and Brand Choice.

Consumers are exposed to a vast number of advertisements daily, yet how message frames (gain vs. loss) interact with different advertising appeals (rational, positive emotional, negative emotional) to influence attitudes remains unclear. Although prior research has examined message frames and advertising appeals independently, limited work has explored their combined effects. Drawing on psychological reactance theory and broaden-and-build theory, this study addresses this gap by investigating how gain and loss frames interact with ad appeal types to shape consumer attitudes and psychological reactance. Using a 2 (message frame: gain vs. loss) × 3 (appeal type: rational, positive emotional, negative emotional) experimental design with 219 U.S. participants, the findings show that gain-framed messages produce significantly more positive ad and brand attitudes for rational and positive emotional appeals. Reactance mediates these effects but not for negative emotional appeals, where the message frame shows no significant influence. These results extend advertising theory and provide practical guidance for marketers, suggesting that aligning message framing with the emotional tone of advertisements can enhance campaign effectiveness.