Framing effects over time: comparing affective and cognitive news frames

A growing number of scholars examine the duration of framing effects. However, duration is likely to differ from frame to frame, depending on how strong a frame is. This strength is likely to be enhanced by adding emotional components to a frame. By means of an experimental survey design (n = 111), this paper tests if the presence of emotional elements within a frame also enhances its longevity. We test framing effects on political attitudes of a rational and an emotional frame immediately, and after a delay of seven days. Our results show that, immediately after exposure, the emotional frame does not cause stronger effects than a rational frame. However, the effects of this emotional frame lasted longer, while rational framing effects dissipated much quicker.