Association change and its relationship with designs in context and form: how product evaluation is affected by negative framings

This study explores the interplay between internal factors (e.g. personal values) and external factors (e.g. product framing and representation form) in shaping user perceptions, attitudes and behaviours towards products. A between-participants experiment (N = 52) was designed using deliberately an iconic product (Haribo gummy bears) to be presented either as image or a tangible item, as well as framed either positively or negatively. The aim is to examine the impact of these manipulated internal and external factors on users' evaluations and their subsequent behaviour. The effects of framing, and markedly negative framing, were considerably larger than those of forms of representations, whose role was limited for the studied product. However, the effect of framing on evaluations is amplified after interacting with the real product. Despite its significance, negative product framing cannot change behaviour as much as user personal values. These insights suggest designers pay attention to how products are portrayed to potential users. Particular attention should be paid to aligning products with the personal values of the target users since this turned as the main determinant for product appreciation. Hence, this research urges designers to pay attention to the fact that products have to resonate with users so to enhance their acceptance.