Fractured Feelings: Character Affect Effects on Hydraulic Fracturing Policy Beliefs

Using gain-loss frames as a plot for policy narratives is a promising communication strategy to advocate and persuade the public about salient, polarized policy issues. This paper reports on post-test design experimental survey comparing treatment groups with a control group. The gain frame focused on the economic and environmental benefits of fracking, while the loss frame focused on the risks posed to contaminated drinking and induced earthquakes. Both emphasis frames found congruent effects (gain/increase, loss/decrease) on overall support for fracking, while only the loss frame had a positive effect on support for a moratorium. Furthermore, the frames elicited positive and negative emotions towards oil and gas companies operationalized using both a valence dimensional model of affect as well as specific emotions (anger, fear, and enthusiasm). Mediation analysis shows the effects of the emphasis frames on supporting fracking and supporting a moratorium were mediated by positive/negative affect, anger, and fear. This study suggests that emphasis frames can be a persuasive plot devise for policy narratives, that emphasis frames can persuade policy beliefs about fracking, and that these beliefs are mediated by positive and negative emotions towards oil and gas companies.