Kaya Malkovich

How does psychological framing in website design influence add-to-cart behavior on fashion e-commerce/sites?

Started July 8, 2025

Abstract or project description

The psychological principle of framing has a major presence in fashion website design. It involves presenting information in a specific way with the goal of influencing the viewer's perceptions and ultimately behaviors, and can be seen through elements such as text descriptions, images, and prices. While framing is evidently related to user behavior, it is unclear which specific framing techniques are most effective in promoting add-to-cart behavior. It is predicted that framing involving pricing (discounts, limited offers, using prices just below a whole number, for example) will have the biggest influence on the purchase behavior of consumers. It is also expected that the manipulation of visual design will play a role in add-to-cart behavior, and that specific framing techniques will be more effective than others in a fashion e-commerce setting.