Value framing effects on the decision-making process: Ethical and material frames and opinions about North Korean nuclear development

Drawing on value frames frequently used in the current political discourse on North Korean nuclear aspirations, this study investigates how value framing affects people's policy preference. News stories were manipulated by highlighting either the ethical or material dangers of the North's nuclear armament. Findings indicate that value framing did not directly shape opinion about government policy on North Korea. However, news framing produced a more subtle set of effects on the way people make decisions. Participants' opinions about how to respond to the nuclear crisis were closely aligned with their general political attitudes. As hypothesized, this pattern was more pronounced when participants were exposed to the ethical frame. Implications for understanding of value framing and public opinion are discussed.