We Are in This Together: The Effects of Abundance and Zero‐Sum Metaphor Frames on Organization and Policy Support

ABSTRACT

Metaphors can be powerful frames that make complex concepts more relatable and vivid. Many heated policy debates in the US use zero‐sum metaphors, such as war or competitive sports, to frame a policy as favoring one group at the expense of another. A zero‐sum mindset can lead to a narrowing of one's attention, focusing on resolving immediate self‐needs and reducing collaboration. Conversely, an abundance (positive sum) mindset promotes thinking beyond oneself and longer‐term planning. We conducted two studies to investigate how zero‐sum or abundance metaphor frames can influence support for philanthropic organizations and social policies. Study 1, a national survey ( n  = 3557), examined how political conservatives and liberals perceive abundance, zero‐sum, and neutral metaphors related to philanthropic foundations. Study 2 used a mixed‐mode 2 (conservative vs. liberal) x 3 (abundance, zero‐sum, neutral metaphors) x 3 (repeated‐measure metaphors) online experiment ( n  = 938) to compare the interacting effects of ideology and metaphor types on support for a social policy (guaranteed basic income) and perceptions about its recipients. The findings showed that, regardless of political ideology, participants had more favorable perceptions of the abundance metaphor frame. Moreover, exposure to the abundance metaphors improved perceptions of social policies and their recipients.