Framing effects and the reinforcement heuristic

•We examine the effect of win/loss framing on a reinforcement heuristic.•The experiment used an incentivized probability-updating task.•A loss frame strengthens the basic impulse to shift away after losing.•The effect occurs only if the losing option was chosen freely.

We examine the effect of win/loss framing on individuals' use of a reinforcement heuristic in an incentivized probability-updating task. A loss frame strengthens the basic impulse to shift away from an unsuccessful option, but only if this option was chosen freely before.