Framing: Calling a Dog an Animal Friend

Framing is about ideas and about how they are presented/packed. Framing ideas is not unlike framing pictures. We have a fair amount of freedom in framing. Clever framing may be used to present and promote an idea, a point of view. Framing an idea calls up mental pictures which we are unable to block. Promoting one frame rather than another is reflected in the brain and may have enormous social consequences. Negating a frame (‘he is not a thief’) still reinforces it to some degree. Malicious framing is often used in politics. Frames are effective as long as they are credible. Framing often combines words and pictures. Different examples of framing may be placed along the honest-neutral-dishonest continuum. Framing may be seen as relating to propaganda and slogans.