The Power of Framing: How News Headlines Guide Search Behavior

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that subtle headline framing cues significantly influence search behavior, affecting query formulation and information-seeking patterns, with effects diminishing over time.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence on how headline framing impacts subsequent search behavior, a less explored area compared to judgment effects.

Findings

Framing influences follow-up search queries.

Conflict and strategy frames disrupt alignment with prior choices.

Episodic frames lead to more concrete queries.

Abstract

Search engines play a central role in how people gather information, but subtle cues like headline framing may influence not only what users believe but also how they search. While framing effects on judgment are well documented, their impact on subsequent search behavior is less understood. We conducted a controlled experiment where participants issued queries and selected from headlines filtered by specific linguistic frames. Headline framing significantly shaped follow-up queries: conflict and strategy frames disrupted alignment with prior selections, while episodic frames led to more concrete queries than thematic ones. We also observed modest short-term frame persistence that declined over time. These results suggest that even brief exposure to framing can meaningfully alter the direction of users information-seeking behavior.