Interplay between benefit appeal and valence framing in reducing smoking behavior: Evidence from a field experience

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death globally, yet it remains a common behavior. Interventions that increase the concreteness of future smoking outcomes have been suggested to be effective, but little research has examined what type of future outcomes should be highlighted, and in what way. The present study therefore explores the efficacy of two types of framings of smoking cessation consequences: Benefit appeal (time vs. money) and valence (gain vs. loss). A randomized controlled field experiment with 2935 participants conducted via a digital therapeutics app found an interplay between appeal type and valence such that messages focusing on money were most likely to lead to immediate reduced smoking behavior when framed as a gain, rather than loss. Effects on motivation or long-term smoking cessation were not detected. The results shed light on psychological differences between money and time, between attitudes and behaviors, and between short-term and long-term behavior change. This study highlights the importance of considering both benefit appeal and valence framing when designing smoking cessation messages.