As we move towards a technologically sophisticated future, society finds itself confronted with various types of complex novelties. People may however withdraw from information on such novelties...Show moreAs we move towards a technologically sophisticated future, society finds itself confronted with various types of complex novelties. People may however withdraw from information on such novelties due to feelings of confusion or unfamiliarity. We argue that this negative psychological impact of complexity may be shaped by means of message framing. Respective frames may either create a general discovery motive or focuses on specific information that is missing to close any gaps in knowledge. The results of our online experiment with a mixed design (N = 101) indicated that message framing however did not affect participants’ interest, motivation to know more, or confusion towards complex innovations. Contrary to our predictions, we did find that frames based on a general discovery motive resulted in higher levels of perceived complexity. Possible explanations for these results, shortcomings of the applied methodology, and theoretical implications for future research are discussed.Show less
