Framing Inequalities

The project is part of the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality" (EXC2035).

(Short) project description

Aims and Central Research Question

Framing of information has been shown to be essential in how a person integrates knowledge into their existing belief system. A major component of framing involves language: how something is said. Our project focuses on identifying, understanding and modeling which parts of language (linguistic cues) trigger framing effects. Our point of departure are the ideas on framing as originally articulated by the psychologist James Druckman in the context of political science. Druckmann distinguishes between frames in thought, which essentially represent the belief system of a human individual and frames in communication, which are the bits of information conveyed to a human individual and which that individual then needs to integrate into their existing frame in thought. We combine this perspective with a new model of the belief systems and communication between individuals, using the linguistic concept of Common Ground. The project aims to develop a new Rich Theory of Framing (RichFrame), test it via a series of framing perception experiments and operationalize it to the extent that we can computationally model:
-    belief systems of individuals with respect to a given topic (e.g., gender, asylum seekers)
-    how new information is integrated into the belief system of an individual
-    how the framing of information affects the integration

Further information is available here: Framing Inequalities