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Framing the Basic Income: An Experimental Study of How Arguments and Metaphors Influence Individuals’ Opinion Formation

Author

Listed:
  • Legein Thomas

    (Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Vandeleene Audrey

    (Lunds Universitet, Lund, Sweden)

  • Randour François

    (Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Heyvaert Pauline

    (Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium)

  • Perrez Julien

    (Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium)

  • Reuchamps Min

    (Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

Abstract

Using an experimental design, this paper tackles the question of the framing impact of metaphors by focusing on the opportunity to implement a basic income (BI) system in a given polity. We take advantage of the preliminary stage of the BI debate in Belgium to study the influence of discursive strategies on the opinion formation process of individuals, since carefully choosing the arguments employed to address this question can help increase its psychological feasibility. Our experiment aims at determining to what extent the confrontation of individuals to metaphors illustrating the BI system impacts the way they apprehend its implementation. We show that very light variations in an informative text can induce major differences in the opinion formation process of the participants. BI proponents should thus pay attention to which metaphors are put forward in the public debate, as this could modify its outcome.

Suggested Citation

  • Legein Thomas & Vandeleene Audrey & Randour François & Heyvaert Pauline & Perrez Julien & Reuchamps Min, 2018. "Framing the Basic Income: An Experimental Study of How Arguments and Metaphors Influence Individuals’ Opinion Formation," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bistud:v:13:y:2018:i:2:p:16:n:3
    DOI: 10.1515/bis-2018-0010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simon Birnbaum, 2012. "Basic Income Reconsidered," Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-01542-6, December.
    2. Paul H Thibodeau & Lera Boroditsky, 2015. "Measuring Effects of Metaphor in a Dynamic Opinion Landscape," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
    3. Paul H Thibodeau & Lera Boroditsky, 2013. "Natural Language Metaphors Covertly Influence Reasoning," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, January.
    4. Paul H Thibodeau & Lera Boroditsky, 2011. "Metaphors We Think With: The Role of Metaphor in Reasoning," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(2), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Jurgen De Wispelaere & Lindsay Stirton, 2013. "The Politics of Unconditional Basic Income: Bringing Bureaucracy Back In," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 61(4), pages 915-932, December.
    6. Noguera José A. & De Wispelaere Jurgen, 2006. "A Plea for the Use of Laboratory Experiments in Basic Income Research," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 1(2), pages 1-8, December.
    7. Gerard J Steen & W Gudrun Reijnierse & Christian Burgers, 2014. "When Do Natural Language Metaphors Influence Reasoning? A Follow-Up Study to Thibodeau and Boroditsky (2013)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-25, December.
    8. John Cunliffe & Guido Erreygers, 2001. "The Enigmatic Legacy of Charles Fourier: Joseph Charlier and Basic Income," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 33(3), pages 459-484, Fall.
    9. Robert J. Van Der Veen, 1998. "Real Freedom versus Reciprocity: Competing Views on the Justice of Unconditional Basic Income," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 46(1), pages 140-163, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Donald R. Richards & Thomas L Steiger, 2021. "Value orientations and support for guaranteed income," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2733-2751, November.

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