Bases neurais do efeito do enquadramento

Abstract

We are constantly absorbing contextual information implicitly and our decisions are influenced by them without us being aware of it. When we make a decision derived from the way this information is described or presented, passively and lacking an in-depth reflection, we denominate it as Framing Effect. This effect impacts substantial fields, such as medicine, consumer behavior and education. Some people are more susceptible to framing, while others are more resistant. This work aims to describe its neural bases, still little understood, to determine how this process works.Thus, it can be clarified how best to apply it in assisting people in making beneficial choices, in addition to preventing harmful situations. This review was structured according to the Dual Process Theory that divides the mental processes in two (Type 1 or T1 and Type 2 or T2). Based on this, the brain areas most susceptible to framing are mainly related to T1, which is responsible to autonomous, automatic and instinctive processing. When there is resistance to the framing effect, brain activation occurs particularly in areas related to T2, which is accountable to more complex neural mechanisms, therefore, to non-autonomous, deliberate and conscious processing. The interaction between the T1 and T2 modules evaluates the information and predicts the susceptibility of the effect in individuals. Considering the body of studies analyzed, it is reasonable to suggest that the influence of framing on decisions is greater in an emotional context or in which it presents conformity with mental predispositions. Equally, the greater the involvement of areas related to executive functions linked to T2, the greater the resistance to the framing effect. Although the literature on the subject is robust, there is still little information regarding its neurobiological bases. Thus, it is necessary to invest in research that addresses the topic in all its multiplicity.