Table 2 Parents’ message framing preferences

Positive vs. negative messages

Positive

If you talk with your children about sex and relationships, they will be better able to deal with difficulties

100 %

Negative

if you don’t talk with your children about sex and relationships, they will be less able to deal with difficulties

0 %

Numeric feedback (summary at end of game)

Percentage

You respond positively to your child 80 % of the time.

45.9 %

Fraction

You respond positively to your child four-fifths of the time

0 %

Ratio

You respond positively to your child four out of five times.

16.4 %

Proportion

You respond positively to your child more than three quarters of the time

3.3 %

General

You respond positively to your child most of the time

34.4 %

Evaluation statements

Statement only

You generally react negatively to difficult or embarrassing situations

11.1 %

Statement + interpretation

You generally react negatively to difficult or embarrassing situations, probably because you don’t feel able to deal with them

3.7 %

Statement + suggested changes

You generally react negatively to difficult or embarrassing situations, and you need to think about how to understand things from your child’s perspective

24.1 %

Statement + targeted questions

You generally react negatively to difficult or embarrassing situations. Is this because you don’t know what to say? You don’t have the confidence? Or is it something else. Think about what is making you react so strongly at times

35.2 %

Statement + reflection from child’s perspective

You generally react negatively to difficult or embarrassing situations because you find it difficult to know how to respond. As a result you respond quickly, sometimes without finding out more information from your child first. You should think about how this impacts on your child

25.9 %