Psychology
Framing Effects in Media and Political Persuasion
Quick fact
In a classic study, describing a surgery as having a '90% survival rate' rather than a '10% mortality rate' made people more willing to accept it, despite the numbers being exactly the same.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever noticed how the same statistic can sound alarming in one headline and reassuring in another? Why does '95% fat-free' seem healthier than '5% fat'—even though they are identical?