Chronic Regulatory Focus Research Articles

Interaction of Cognitive and Motivational Processes in Asymmetric Preferences for Gains and Losses

An experiment on repetitive decision-making was conducted to explore the interaction between cognitive and motivational processes in decision-making. The gain-loss framing of risky choice options was manipulated to investigate cognition, and participants’ chronic regulatory focus was measured to assess motivation. Risky choice demonstrated interactive effects between gain-loss framing and regulatory focus. Participants made less risky or riskier choices in the gain or loss condition, respectively. Furthermore, promotion or prevention-focused individuals chose the risky option more frequently in the gain or loss condition, respectively. The results for response times showed the main effects for the two factors, with no interaction. These results, along with supplementary post-hoc analyses, provide evidence that cognitive and motivational processes are simultaneously involved in risky decision-making.

A new measure of regulatory focus: Preventing measurement error by promoting best validation practices.

The goals of this project were to improve our understanding of chronic regulatory focus constructs and to provide researchers with a measure that adequately assesses the constructs, can distinguish individual differences effectively across the range of the constructs, and is appropriate for use in diverse populations. Employing best practices in construct validation, we developed the International Personality Item Pool Regulatory Focus Scale (IPIP-RFS). Utilizing 14 samples (N = 4867), we established substantive (via expert ratings and regulatory focus literature), structural (via factor analysis, item response theory, and measurement invariance), and external (via convergent, discriminant, and predictive associations) validity. The IPIP-RFS adequately assesses the constructs of chronic promotion focus and prevention focus, can accurately assess individuals along the continua of the constructs, and is suitable for use among populations that vary in gender, race, and age. Individual differences in promotion focus reflect self-regulation and goal pursuit related to cognitive and behavioral exploration and flexibility (i.e., plasticity), whereas individual differences in prevention focus reflect self-regulation and goal pursuit related to motivational and interpersonal steadiness (i.e., stability). Promotion and prevention focus are important elements of personality with broad implications for functioning and outcomes in health and other important domains.

Regulatory focus predicts individual differences in pragmatic versus grammatical awareness and sensitivity

The present study employs regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) to investigate the effects of L2 speakers’ chronic regulatory focus on their L2 pragmatic versus grammatical awareness. It involved the participation of 121 Chinese students, who are English language learners, at a university in the United States. Haws et al.’s (2010) questionnaire was used to examine the participants’ regulatory dispositions, and a judgment task was adapted from Bardovi-Harlig and Dörnyei (1998) to assess participants’ awareness of grammatical and pragmatic errors, as well as the severity of each type of error. Multiple regression results largely confirmed the predictions. Prevention regulatory focus, concerned with obligations, responsibilities, and negative outcomes, predicted L2 speakers’ recognition of grammatical errors and their severity. Conversely, promotion focus, which emphasizes growth, accomplishments, and positive outcomes, positively predicted L2 speakers’ perceptions of pragmatic error severity. These findings contribute to the understanding of how differences in chronic motivational orientations can lead to different L2 use patterns and characteristics.

The role of regulatory focus in consumers' adoption of virtual fitting rooms (VFRs)

PurposeDespite the potential of virtual fitting rooms (VFRs) to enhance the consumer experience, their adoption is in the preliminary stages. Little is known about inherent reasons why consumers would adopt VFRs. As consumers' attributional processes can be influenced by their enduring chronic traits, this study aims to investigate the influence of chronic regulatory focus on consumers' VFR adoptions via consumers' perceptions of value provided by VFRs. Additionally, the mediating effects of perceived functional and experiential values were examined. Further, the moderating effect of prior VFR experience was tested to allow for variations in consumer experiences.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via an online survey of 480 consumers who have at least heard of VFRs via convenience sampling. Established measures were utilized to develop the survey questionnaire. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling to test the main model with mediation effects as well as multi-group comparisons to test the moderating effect.FindingsEmpirical results revealed that respective chronic regulatory foci, as preconceived factors that drive consumers' differences in processing, exerted significant influences on consumers' perceptions of VFRs, which, in turn, positively influenced their adoption intention. Also, perceived values mediated the relationship between regulatory foci and consumers' adoption intention. Further, prior VFR experience moderated the relationship between regulatory focus and perceived value.Originality/valueThe paper empirically tested the importance of chronic regulatory foci in understanding consumers' cognitive and affective attributional processes, explaining inherent psychological reasons why consumers would (not) adopt VFRs.

Green behavior among Gen Z consumers in an emerging market: eco-friendly versus non-eco-friendly products

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of brand familiarity, consumer green consciousness (GC) and chronic regulatory focus on consumer attitudes, buying intentions and willingness to pay more for eco-friendly products in a comparison between eco-friendly and non-eco-friendly products among Generation Z consumers.Design/methodology/approachAn experiment with a between-subjects design was conducted with 151 Malaysian Generation Z consumers.FindingsWhen consumers are more familiar with an eco-friendly brand than a non-eco-friendly brand, their attitude toward, buying intention and willingness to pay more for eco-friendly products are significantly higher than for non-eco-friendly products. In contrast, such effects are not significant when consumers are more familiar with a non-eco-friendly brand than an eco-friendly brand. Hence, young consumers are more inclined to favor a familiar eco-friendly brand than a familiar non-eco-friendly one. Consumers with higher GC are willing to pay more than consumers with lower GC for products of a familiar eco-friendly brand. When consumers are less familiar with an eco-friendly brand, those with a higher chronic promotion focus (CPF) will have a more favorable attitude toward, and a higher intention to buy, eco-friendly products than those with a lower CPF.Practical implicationsAwareness of how these factors influence consumer purchase behavior can help retailers and marketers design and communicate specific messages to highlight their brand and product eco-friendliness in their marketing strategies. Doing so may increase familiarity with their brand and the demand for and purchase of their brand’s eco-friendly products.Originality/valueThis research explores the influence of an integrated model of brand familiarity, GC and CPF on consumer purchase behavior in the comparison between eco-friendly and non-eco-friendly products. This has not been clearly examined in previous research.

The effect of chronic regulatory focus and social comparison on undergraduates' intertemporal choices under gain-loss frame.

Intertemporal choice refers to decisions involving tradeoffs among costs and benefits occurred at different times. To investigate whether college students' intertemporal decision making under the gain and loss frames is affected by their chronic regulatory focus. Currently, experiment 1 investigated the influence of college students' chronic regulatory focus on intertemporal decision making under the gain and loss frames, and experiment 2 further explored the moderating effect of social comparison (i.e., upward or downward social comparison) during this process. The results showed that intertemporal choices of participants with promotive focus was no significant difference between the gain frame and loss frame, while college students with preventive focus chose later and larger rewards more in loss frame than in gain frame. Social comparison moderated the effects of the chronic regulatory focus on college students' intertemporal choice in gain and loss frames. The upward comparison enhanced the influence of regulatory focus on intertemporal choice in the gain and loss frames, while the downward comparison weakened it.

Consumer self-regulation: Looking back to look forward. A systematic literature review

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in consumer self-regulation research. This field is important for the welfare of consumers and society because of self-regulation’s role in in preventing problems including public health issues, such as obesity, deterioration of the natural environment, and revolving credit card debt. This systematic literature review uses a framework-based approach to present an organized and synthesized understanding of this field. The three factors that most frequently appear as the antecedents of consumer self-regulation are trait self-control, self-regulatory depletion, and chronic regulatory focus. Self-regulation has been the most studied regarding food and financial decision-making. The theory of self-regulatory strength model or self-control depletion model have been the main frameworks for most studies. This study proposes a research agenda based on identified opportunities and gaps, and offers guidelines for practitioners and policy makers to enable them to help consumers in improving self-regulation.

How and when does responsible leadership affect employees' pro-environmental behavior?

By integrating the resource accumulation perspective and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this research explores the impact mechanism of responsible leadership on employees' pro-environmental behaviors (EPB). We conducted a survey to collect data from 319 employees in Chinese companies in three waves. Our research found that responsible leadership had significantly positive effect on EPB; employees' perceived organizational support toward the environment (POS-E) and green self-efficacy played a serial multiple mediating role; meanwhile, employees' chronic regulatory focus moderated the relationship between responsible leadership and EPB, with promotion focus strengthening the relationship and prevention focus weakening the relationship. Our findings support the applicability of JD-R model in the field of EPB, enrich the theoretical research on responsible leadership and EPB, and also provide a practical basis for organizations to effectively stimulate EPB and promote sustainable development.

Fit for Something New - An Examination of Regulatory Fit as Driver of Consumer Adoption Behavior

While existing literature shows that a consumer’s regulatory focus has an impact on innovation adoption, investigations regarding the effect of regulatory fit in this context are rather scarce. Furthermore, prior investigations are predominantly limited to consideration of either the chronic regulatory focus (CRF) or the temporary regulatory focus (TRF) and have rarely considered the interaction of both. This article aims to fill this gap by conducting two studies. In the first study, we examine whether a regulatory fit (non-fit) between consumer’s CRF and the product-related focus has an impact on consumer’s adoption intention. Within the second study, we observe whether inducing a TRF would enhance or attenuate the effects found in study 1 respectively. Results show that adoption intention are higher for consumers in regulatory fit compared to non-fit conditions. Furthermore, our findings indicate that inducing a TRF is only promising in regulatory non-fit conditions.

Testing the impact of interpersonal regulatory fit on empathy, helping intentions, and prosocial behaviour.

Similarity with others in need regarding various attributes [e.g., social group membership] has been shown to increase individuals’ empathic responses, willingness to help and prosocial behaviour. We tested whether a subtle similarity, namely of observers’ and targets’ self-regulatory orientation in terms of a promotion or prevention regulatory focus [i.e., interpersonal regulatory fit], would entail similar effects. Interpersonal regulatory [mis]fit was conveyed through focus-congruent or -incongruent emotional reactions which targets, facing distressing situations, expressed. We predicted that when observer participants’ regulatory focus fits with targets’ negative emotional reaction [i.e., promotion focus—dejection or prevention focus—agitation], they would be more likely to express empathy, willingness to help, and to engage in prosocial behaviour towards this target compared to conditions of misfit. Five studies relied on observers’ chronic regulatory focus [Study 1, 3, & 4] and situationally induced regulatory focus [Study 2 & 5] and presented different distressing scenarios with targets conveying focus [in]congruent negative emotions. Inconsistent results emerged across the studies, which indicated misfit, fit and no effects. Study characteristics did not suggest a moderator explaining these inconsistent findings. An internal meta-analysis across all studies indicated that overall there was no evidence of either a fit or a misfit effect. This work sheds light on the technical challenges of exploring relations between subtle interpersonal regulatory [mis]fit and prosocial reactions. Implications for future research are discussed, including the importance of creating stronger interpersonal [mis]fit experiences by means of incorporating descriptions of distressed targets’ hindered goal pursuits as well as negative reactions.

제품유형과 조절초점이 다양성 묶음상품과 동일제품 묶음상품 선호에 미치는 영향

This research examines the influence of consumer regulatory focus on preference for product bundles. Product bundling is a type of consumer promotion in which multiple products are combined as a single comprehensive package, commonly accompanying with price discounts. This research focuses on the non-variety bundle that includes multiple units of the same item and the variety bundle that is composed of different products that vary in terms of ingredients, taste, or flavor, and examines the influence of consumer regulatory focus on preference for non-variety and variety bundles. It is hypothesized that between the two types of bundles, variety (vs. non-variety) bundle is preferred for consumers with higher promotion (vs. prevention) focus. This prediction is based on the theory of regulatory focus that people with promotion-focus tend to seek diversification, whereas people with prevention-focus tend to prefer safety in their purchase. The results of two empirical studies show that regulatory focus has a significant influence on preference for product bundles. Study 1 tested the influence of consumers’ chronic regulatory focus on choice between variety bundle and non-variety bundle options. The results showed that the regulatory focus of the participants was significantly related to the choice of variety (vs. non-variety) bundle. Consumers with higher promotion (vs. prevention) focused were more likely to select the variety (vs. non-variety) bundle. Study 2 re-examined the influence of regulatory focus on preference for bundle by examining its influence on the attitude toward the variety and non-variety bundle products. The results of Study 2 showed that the attitude toward the variety bundle was positively related to the participants’ chronic promotion-focus, whereas the attitude toward the non-variety bundle was positively related to the participants’ chronic prevention-focus. Consequently, the results of two empirical studies present strong evidence that evaluation of the variety bundle is positively related to consumers’ promotion focus, whereas evaluation of the non-variety bundle was positively related to prevention focus. The result was significant in bundle choice (Study 1) and attitude toward bundles (Study 2). The paper also present theoretical contributions, managerial implications, limitations, and directions for future research. This research contribute to the related research domains by presenting that consumer regulatory focus is one of consumer characteristics has a strong influence on preference for bundle types. This research also contribute to the sales promotion research by testing the factors that influence consumer preference for variety and non-variety bundles. In addition, this research presents important practical implications. For instance, this research highlights the importance of identifying the right target consumers when promoting bundled products. A firm should target its marketing effort toward the consumers with promotion focus when promoting variety bundle and toward the consumers with prevention focus when promoting non-variety bundles. This paper also presents directions for future research.

The Role of Regulatory Focus, Self-Esteem, and Mood in Social Comparisons with Mediated Extreme Targets — Selective Exposure to News about the Rich and the Poor

In a quasi-experiment, high-school students’ (N=252) chronic regulatory focus, self-esteem, and mood were taken into account to predict patterns of selective exposure to headlines about the rich and poor. Partly consistent with Gerber et al. (2017) meta-analysis, there is a strong preference for upward choices in a negative mood. We nuanced this result by referring to the role of news valence in selective exposure demonstrating that the selection of negative news about the rich is typical in negative mood. Results regarding the selective exposure to headlines about the poor corroborate only with Wheeler and Miyakes’ (1992) finding that respondents selected down-ward comparison targets in a positive mood. The selective exposure self- and affect-management model (SESAM, Knobloch-Westerwick, 2015) may serve as a theoretical framework for explaining the result. Besides income inequality literature, the discussion is based on the Wu et al. (2018) finding, and it suggests that the selection of headlines about the rich could be linked to a positive stereotyping process. We would call this process of accepting one’s own culture as it is by social comparisons to make the unequal word supportable as soothing social comparison. The same logic was applied to the poor.

Mass surveillance to fight COVID-19: acceptance of surveillance technologies depends on goal-directed motivation

ABSTRACT Many governments use mass surveillance to fight COVID-19. Surveillance technologies can help in controlling the spread of the virus, but they may also raise privacy concerns among citizens. This research aims to explore the behavioural mechanisms underlying the acceptance of mass surveillance during COVID-19 and public health emergencies in the future. According to regulatory focus theory, goal-directed behaviour is regulated by two motivational systems – promotion and prevention. Promotion-focused individuals are motivated by growth and prefer to use eager strategies to achieve their goals. Prevention-focused individuals are motivated by safety and prefer to use vigilant strategies. Based on the theory, it is proposed that there is a relationship between regulatory focus and acceptance of mass surveillance. Study 1 tested this proposal with a questionnaire that measured chronic regulatory focus. Study 2 tested this proposal with an experimental priming technique. For both, chronic and experimentally manipulated regulatory focus, these studies showed that surveillance acceptance was associated with regulatory focus. In Study 1, surveillance acceptance was positively associated with prevention focus. Privacy concerns mediated this relationship. The higher the prevention focus, the lower were the concerns about privacy, and thus, the higher was the willingness to accept mass surveillance. Moreover, promotion focus moderated the relationship between privacy concerns and surveillance acceptance. The higher the concerns about privacy, the lower was the willingness to accept mass surveillance, and the higher the promotion focus, the stronger was the effect. Study 2 found that a situationally induced regulatory focus moderated the relationship between privacy concerns and surveillance acceptance. The higher the concerns over privacy, the lower was the willingness to accept mass surveillance, and the effect was stronger for an induced promotion (vs. prevention) focus. Models of surveillance acceptance are presented. Implications for public health and health communication are discussed.

Constructing Regression Model for Innovative Leadership Values with Regulatory Focus Theory

With the increasing attention towards innovative leadership, the inner world of leaders becomes a more interesting area than ever, especially their impact on the success of innovation. This study adopts the theory of consumption values (Sheth, Newman, & Gross, 1991) and the Chronic Regulatory Focus theory into the innovation management to explain how leaders decide to support novel ideas and projects. The operationalisation of this theory within the perspective of leadership and innovation would not only guide organisations for investing in innovation objectively but also; this orientation would enrich the leadership literature. Therefore, this paper aims to define the leadership’s values as an antecedent and formulate them within the regression model. This study and its suggested regression model can be facilitated to explain Leader’s behaviour for the treasure hunter who would like to mine the gold from innovation and creativity.

Which motivates an individual more: The to-date frame or the to-go frame? A regulatory focus perspective

Koo and Fishbach (2008) examined the influence of relative focus on completed actions (to-date information) versus remaining actions (to-go information) on the motivation for goal-directed work and indicated that emphasizing to-go information increases motivation when the goal is important. I hypothesized that when the goal is important, emphasizing to-go information increases motivation to achieve a goal in promotion-focused individuals, whereas focusing on what has been accomplished (to-date information) increases motivation to achieve a goal in prevention-focused individuals. I then tested whether chronic regulatory focus (prevention focus vs. promotion focus) moderated the effect of emphasizing to-date versus to-go information on goal pursuit through three studies. In Studies 1 and 2, I examined students' motivation to study for an important exam while maintaining their actual progress constant at approximately 50%. These studies supported our hypothesis. In Study 3, I used behavioral indicators to test the hypothesis, and found that behavioral indicators also supported our hypothesis. The results of this research extend Koo and Fishbach's (2008) findings by demonstrating that focusing on to-go information fits promotion-focused individuals, but not prevention-focused individuals. The three studies further confirm the robustness of our findings.

Similarities of regulatory focus among mothers and daughters of different ages

The purpose of this study was to examine the similarity in chronic regulatory focus (promotion/prevention) among mothers and daughters of young, middle, and older ages. A survey was conducted using the shortened 10- item form of the Japanese version of the promotion/prevention focus scale, and 77 sets of grandmothers (77.79 ± 5.61 years), their daughters (49.26 ± 4.12 years), and their granddaughters (20.17 ± 3.89 years) were studied as a part of the analysis. I compared scores on the promotion/prevention focus scale between grandmothers and their daughters (older age group) and granddaughters and their mothers (younger age group). The results show that the strength of a daughters’ promotion and prevention focus was similar to that of their mothers’ in the younger age group. On the other hand, only the strength of daughters’ prevention focus was similar to that of their mothers’ in the older age group. The results of this study suggest that daughters may be similar to their mothers, as they age, in their strategies to adapt to changes that focus on loss and risk.

I use a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. Do you? Regulatory focus and the intention to engage with contact-tracing technology

Based on regulatory focus theory, it is proposed that there is a relationship between the intention to use COVID-19 contact-tracing apps and goal-directed motivation. Two studies tested this proposal. Study 1 examined the relationship between participants’ chronic regulatory focus and the intention to use contact-tracing apps. Apps usage intention was positively associated with prevention focus. A mediation analysis showed that the relationship between prevention focus and apps usage intention was mediated by privacy and information security concerns. The stronger the prevention focus, the weaker the concerns, thus, the stronger the intention to use contact-tracing apps. Study 2 used priming to have participants adopt either a momentary promotion or prevention focus, after which they were asked about their intention to use contact-tracing apps. A situationally induced regulatory focus influenced the intention to use contact-tracing apps. A moderation analysis showed that age moderated the relationship between regulatory focus and apps usage intention.

Influence of Gender on the Word-of-mouth Process in Restaurant Consumption Using Chronic Regulatory Focus

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the impact of gender on the word-of-mouth (WOM) process in restaurant consumption by adopting the regulatory focus orientation of consumers as a fundamental factor that affects this process. The study analyzed a total of 361 valid questionnaires collected from restaurant consumers in the US to examine the WOM process. The analysis produced significant empirical evidence. The results revealed that gender plays a significant role in psychological aspects such as personality traits (chronic regulatory focus) and emotion but not in cognitive aspects, including WOM intention. This study makes theoretical contributions by extending the literature on gender, WOM, and regulatory focus. The results also present implications and suggestions for future research.

Public transport and public health: Regulatory focus and the impact of COVID-19 on the choice of public transport mode

ObjectiveBased on regulatory focus theory, it was predicted that there would be a relationship between regulatory focus, health-related perceived risk of using public transport during COVID-19, and choice of public transport mode. MethodThe study focused on choice between demand responsive transport (DRT), and more traditional modes of public transport, buses and private taxis. Participants completed online questionnaires to measure chronic regulatory focus, perception of health-related risk of using public transport, and choice of public transport mode (choice between buses and DRT, and separately, between taxis and DRT). ResultsThe choice between buses and DRT is explained by moderation. The relationship between promotion focus and choice is moderated by risk perception whereas the relationship between prevention focus and choice is moderated by age. Specifically, the probability of choosing DRT is smaller for those saying DRT is riskier (relative to bus is riskier), and the effect gets stronger with increasing strength of promotion focus. Furthermore, the probability of choosing DRT increases with increasing strength of prevention focus for individuals older in age, but decreases with increasing strength of prevention focus for those younger in age. The choice between taxis and DRT is explained by mediated-moderation. The relationship between promotion focus and choice is moderated by age and mediated by risk perception. Specifically, the probability of saying that DRT is riskier than taxis decreases with increasing strength of promotion focus for individuals older in age. As a result, the probability of choosing DRT increases with increasing strength of promotion focus for older people. Moreover, the probability of saying that DRT is riskier than taxis increases with increasing strength of promotion focus for individuals younger in age. As a result, the probability of choosing DRT decreases with increasing strength of promotion focus for younger people. Implications for transport and health are discussed.

State-trait interactions in regulatory focus determine impulse buying behavior.

Little research has focused on motivational state-trait interactions to explain impulse buying. Although the trait chronic regulatory focus has been linked to impulse buying, no evidence yet exists for an effect of situational regulatory focus and no research has examined whether the fit of chronic and situational regulatory focus can influence impulse buying with actual consumptive consequences rather than purchase intentions. Two laboratory experiments (total N = 250) manipulated situational regulatory focus before providing opportunities for impulse buying. In addition, cognitive constraint was manipulated as a potential boundary condition for regulatory focus effects. Situational promotion focus increased impulse buying relative to situational prevention focus in participants with strong chronic promotion, consistent with regulatory fit theory and independently of cognitive constraint. Surprisingly, situational promotion focus also increased impulse buying in participants with strong chronic prevention, but only under low cognitive constraint. These results may be explained by diverging mediating cognitive processes for promotion vs. prevention focus' effect on impulse buying. Future research must focus more on combining relevant states and traits in predicting consumer behavior. Marketing implications are discussed.