Effects of Framing, Visualization, and Probabilistic Risk Outcomes on Decisions

People often make different decisions depending on whether outcomes are described as gains or losses, even when the numbers are the same. This study examined how the presentation of information influenced decisions. Participants completed a series of decision-making scenarios across real-world contexts, including military operations, disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and infrastructure failures. In each case, they chose between a guaranteed outcome and a risky alternative. Outcomes were shown either as text or as visual displays called icon arrays, which represented individuals as simple graphics. When outcomes were presented in text, participants showed classic framing effects: they preferred safe options when outcomes were framed as gains and riskier options when framed as losses. However, when the same information was shown using icon arrays, this difference disappeared and moved toward preferring the safe option. These findings indicate that visualizing risk can reduce bias in decision-making. Improving how risk information is presented may help people make more informed and consistent choices.