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Abstract

The current study investigated the effectiveness of infographic framing interventions in promoting support for the UBC SkyTrain Extension project. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of three infographics with different framings of the project in Qualtrics. In the neutral-framing control condition, participants viewed a factual infographic. In the positive-framing condition, participants viewed an infographic stating the benefits of the project, and in the negative-framing condition, the infographic depicted the cost of not implementing the extension. Support for the extension was assessed through three measures: overall support level, intention to send emails to TransLink to support and accelerate the project, and actual email-sending behaviour. Results showed no significant differences across the three framing conditions for all three measures of support. However, the overall support for the SkyTrain extension was notably high and consistent across framing conditions, averaging 6.30 on a 7-point scale. These findings suggest that framing may not play a critical role in shaping public support for the SkyTrain extension, especially when baseline approval is already high. However, the neutral framing being the most effective may imply that participants were more likely to support the extension when presented with new, factual information about the project. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”