The secret to finding love: Framing theory
Concordia University research suggests those seeking love are especially influenced by information framed negatively.
I know you've suffered.
There were times where you were so lonely you could cry. You'd been rejected by what you thought was your one true love and, given our brave new technological era, it didn't even happen in person.
Worse, you'd thought that someone was phenomenally, pheromonally interested in you, only to discover that you were brushed off at the vital moment.
You scream into the night: "Why? Why? Why?" -- until your friends make you realize you're actually at a club and you've have five too many margaritas.
Today, I'm going to help you achieve a little peaceful closure. I'm going to help you understand the rejection, the disappointment, the injustice.
I'm going to talk to you about framing theory.
People often aren't confident in their own feelings and opinions. They might seem to be. In fact, though, they are hugely susceptible to the way things are put to them.
I am grateful to Forbes for easing me toward research performed at Concordia University. This research has a very loving title: "The framing effect when evaluating prospective mates: an adaptationist perspective."
The idea was to present the same information to participants about a prospective lover. The only difference was that the information would have either a positive or a negative framing.
Positive example: 8 out of 10 people think he's the loveliest guy on Earth. Negative example: 2 out of 10 people think he's the schmuck's schmuck.
The conclusions might bring a shiver to you first, then, hopefully, a little understanding.