Regulatory Mode Orientations Research Articles

University students' regulatory focus-mode profiles and their relationships with grit, critical thinking, effort regulation, and perceptions of academic success

This research drew on Higgins’ (2012) theory, which proposed that motivation comprises peoples simultaneous strivings to achieve valued outcomes, understand their realities, and exert control over their actions. Regulatory focus (i.e., promotion and prevention) and regulatory mode (i.e., assessment and locomotion) orientations measure the three types of strivings to be effective; these four regulatory focus and mode orientations work together (i.e., interact) to influence motivation and its effects (Higgins, 2012). This research examined regulatory focus-mode profiles (i.e., configurations) that reflect the interrelationships among promotion, prevention, assessment, and locomotion for Chinese university students. Data were collected from 886 participants and were analyzed by means of latent profile analyses; five profiles were identified. Subsequent analyses revealed significant differences among these regulatory focus-mode profiles with regard to grit, critical thinking, effort regulation, and perceptions of academic success. These findings advance understanding of motivation and its effects and provide a solid springboard for future research.

Getting It Done or Doing It Right: Antecedents and Outcomes of Entrepreneurial Passion

The study of entrepreneurial passion has helped to extend understanding of why certain entrepreneurs are better able to cope with extremely challenging situations in ensuring the creation, survival, and growth of their new ventures. Previous work has focused on how passion for inventing, founding, and developing influence entrepreneurs’ performance on a wide array of individual and venture outcomes. However, less progress has been made in developing a better understanding of the individual characteristics that influence and give rise to particular forms of passion. In this study, we explore how two of the functional dimensions of self-regulatory mode - locomotion and assessment - can direct individuals toward specific types of entrepreneurial passion. We argue that an individual’s regulatory mode orientation towards assessment, locomotion, or both, precede and direct the development of a particular type of entrepreneurial passion. Further, we specify and test a holistic model where each type of entrepreneurial passion (inventor, founder, and developer passion) influences entrepreneurial effectiveness on distinct aspects of the entrepreneurial process (e.g., opportunity recognition, venture creation, and venture growth). Finally, we hypothesize that each type of entrepreneurial passion mediates the influence of locomotion and/or assessment on these different new venture outcomes.

The Unique Role of Regulatory Mode Orientations in Implicit and Explicit Self-Forgiveness

Abstract. The present research addresses the unique role of locomotion and assessment regulatory-mode orientations on self-forgiveness, by controlling for personality traits and by excluding possible effects of variables linked to strategies that underestimate one’s culpability. In three studies (Total N = 471) we found that assessment obstructs, while locomotion promotes, self-forgiveness both at an explicit (Studies 1 and 2) and at an implicit level (Study 3), and by controlling for acceptance of responsibility (Studies 1 and 3), the Big-Five dimensions, moral disengagement strategies (Study 1), self-blame and justifications (Study 2), transgression severity, and time passed since the episode occurred (Study 3). The implications of the results are also discussed with reference to self-forgiveness.

Preference for action: regulatory mode in B2B positioning decision-making

PurposeGrounded in regulatory mode theory (RMT), this study aims to investigate the impact of managers’ orientation for action (locomotion and assessment) in business-to-business positioning decision-making.Design/methodology/approachData are collected using a scenario-based experimental design. Study 1 examines whether interest and involvement in recommending a positioning strategy depends on a manager’s regulatory mode orientation. The impact of such orientations on the likelihood of changing a recommended positioning strategy is the focus of Study 2. The moderating effects of task motivation (expected rewards resulting from a recommendation), market feedback and the line manager’s leadership style are examined.FindingsBoth assessment and locomotion are significant determinants of involvement in recommending a positioning strategy. The introduction of motivation as a moderator helps explain differences in level of interest in positioning decision-making. Locomotion, but not assessment, affects the likelihood of changing a recommended positioning strategy. Assessment amplifies the impact of locomotion, while none of the interaction effects between regulatory mode orientation and contextual factors is a significant determinant of changing a positioning strategy.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first application of RMT on positioning decision-making. Results from two experiments provide novel insights into the predictive relevance of managers’ preference in terms of involvement with the decision-making process and the likelihood of altering positioning.

The assessment dimension of regulatory mode mediates the relation between frontoparietal connectivity and risk-taking: Evidence from voxel-base morphometry and functional connectivity analysis

We used voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to investigate whether the regulatory mode orientation of assessment (the tendency of each individual to self-regulate by critically evaluating alternatives) interacts with neural systems underlying risk-taking. Across a sample of 112 participants, propensity for risk-taking (measured using the Wheel of Fortune task) was negatively correlated with assessment orientation, such that a greater tendency to critically evaluate alternatives was associated with a lower tendency for risk-taking. VBM revealed a negative correlation between assessment orientation and right inferior parietal lobe (RIPL) gray matter volume. Resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) between this same RIPL region and the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) was positively correlated with assessment orientation in an independent sample of 41 participants. Most importantly, based on the rs-FC results, a mediation analysis indicated that assessment orientation played a completely mediating role in the relation between the functional connectivity of RIPL-LIFG and risk-taking. These results suggest that assessment orientation may affect risk-taking via the RIPL and its connectivity with LIFG. On the whole, the present study yields the insights into how the assessment dimension of regulatory mode affects risk-taking, and provides a novel account of the neural substrate of this relationship.

How stressful is retirement! Antecedents of stress linked to athletes’ career termination

AbstractA field study conducted with professional athletes (N = 420, 72.2% men, Mage = 25.14) examined the antecedents of stress linked to career termination. We hypothesized that stress linked to career termination may be affected by the type of passion (harmonious and obsessive) athletes develop for their sport activity, and that this passion may be affected by regulatory mode orientations (locomotion and assessment) and need for closure (NFC). The present findings confirm our hypotheses that locomotion positively predict stress linked to career termination through a partial mediation of harmonious passion, while assessment and NFC negatively predict stress through the mediation of obsessive passion. In conclusion, this study provides further information to existing intervention programs aimed at preventing the negative consequences related to athletes’ career termination.

Assessment and locomotion motivational concerns in Internet Addiction Disorder

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) has recently been linked to different personality characteristics and self- orientations. Through a survey comprising 469 respondents, who ranged from 13 to 42 years old, we examine how different regulatory mode orientations (namely assessment and locomotion) relate to the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Specifically, we find that individuals with a higher level of assessment (the regulatory mode concerned with critical evaluation) also present higher scores in the IAT. This effect seems more pronounced for males than for females. Conversely, higher levels of locomotion (typical of individuals who are oriented to get things done) are negatively related to IAT scores. These results offer important insights for advancing the theory on IAD development and regulatory modes. Further studies are needed to clarify the causal direction of the relationship and to test possible strategies targeted at reducing IAD by modifying levels of locomotion and assessment orientations.

The effect of regulatory mode on procrastination: Bi-stable parahippocampus connectivity with dorsal anterior cingulate and anterior prefrontal cortex

Previous research has elucidated that procrastination can be influenced by regulatory mode orientations. However, the neural mechanism of regulatory modes affecting procrastination is not well understood. To address this question, we employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) to test the influence of two regulatory modes (assessment and locomotion) on procrastination. The behavioral results showed that procrastination was positively correlated with assessment orientation but negatively correlated with locomotion orientation. Neuroimaging results indicated that the functional connectivity between parahippocampal cortex (PHC) and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) was negatively correlated with assessment scores, while the functional connectivity between anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) and parahippocampal cortex (PHC) was negatively correlated with locomotion scores. Critically, mediation analysis showed that the different effects of two distinct regulatory modes on procrastination were mediated by PHC-dACC and aPFC-PHC functional connectivity respectively. These results suggested that people’s procrastination could be predicted by regulatory mode orientations, which is mediated by PHC connectivity with dACC and aPFC respectively. The present study extends our knowledge on procrastination and provides neural mechanism for understanding the link between regulatory mode orientations and procrastination.

The neural basis of the effect of regulatory mode on intertemporal choice: the mediating role of mPFC

Decisions that involve tradeoffs between outcomes that occur at different points in time are called intertemporal choice. A consistent finding regarding intertemporal choice is that delayed outcomes are discounted relative to immediate ones. The extent of preference for delayed rewards is captured by delay discounting rate, which expresses that the subjective value of a delayed reward declines as a function of delay. It is generally thought that people are fairly stable in their intertemporal preference, and it has been suggested that they may have a genetic component. Previous studies have shown that the chronic regulatory mode orientation can affect intertemporal choice. Steeper delay discounting is related to lower assessment orientation, while related to higher locomotion orientation. However, the cognitive and neural mechanism of the effect of regulatory mode on intertemporal choice is still unclear. Recent neuroimaging studies have identified a valuation network (such as ventral striatum, posterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex) in delay discounting, which is the neural computation and representation of the subjective values of rewards. Thus, we investigated the role of the valuation network in the relation between regulatory mode and delay discounting.

The mediating role of LPFC–vmPFC functional connectivity in the relation between regulatory mode and delay discounting

Previous studies have shown that regulatory mode orientation can affect many human behaviors, such as risk-taking, counterfactual thinking and economic decision making. However, little is known about how regulatory mode affects delay discounting. To address this question, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to investigate whether regulatory mode orientations can be represented by functional connectivity and the influence of two regulatory modes (assessment and locomotion) on delay discounting. The behavioral results showed that delay discounting was negatively correlated with assessment scores but positively correlated with locomotion scores. Neuroimaging results indicated that the functional connectivity between lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was negatively correlated with assessment scores but positively correlated with locomotion scores. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that the effect of regulatory mode on delay discounting is mediated by LPFC–vmPFC functional connectivity. These results suggested that people’s regulatory mode orientation could predict delay discounting, which is mediated by LPFC–vmPFC functional connectivity. Therefore, the present study extends our perspective on regulatory mode and provides neural mechanism for understanding the link between regulatory mode and delay discounting.

Running away from stress: How regulatory modes prospectively affect athletes' stress through passion.

A prospective field study conducted with runners training for an upcoming marathon (Marathon of Rome 2013) examined the relation between regulatory modes, locomotion and assessment, and stress. Integrating regulatory mode theory and the dualistic model of passion, we hypothesized that the relation between regulatory modes (evaluated 3 months before the race) and the experience of stress approaching the marathon, is mediated by the type of passion (harmonious vs obsessive) athletes experience with regard to marathoning. Results revealed that (a) locomotion positively predicted harmonious passion, which in turn reduced athletes' experience of stress; and (b) assessment positively predicted obsessive passion, which in turn enhanced athletes' experience of stress. Overall, the present results suggest that proximal psychological mechanisms such as basic regulatory mode orientations can predict distal outcomes such as stress indirectly through their relation with motivational phenomena such as passion.

Evaluating right versus just evaluating online consumer reviews

Three competing arguments about the effect of word-of-mouth—positivity effect, negativity effect, and no effect—have been advanced in the literature and found inconsistent results. Previous studies have investigated various boundary conditions in an attempt to explain the inconsistent results concerning the effectiveness of recommendation valence. This study argues that the effectiveness of recommendation valence is not determined by recommendations’ content (i.e., positive vs. negative) but by consumers’ regulatory mode orientation, which has rarely been studied. An experiment on 168 participants shows that consumers high in assessment orientation evaluate negative reviews as being more useful, whereas consumers high in locomotion orientation tend to evaluate positive reviews as being more useful. Moreover, mediated moderation tests using bootstrapping demonstrate that, for consumers high in assessment orientation, negative reviews have an indirect positive effect on intention, mediated by message usefulness; however, this mediated moderation effect does not occur for consumers high in locomotion orientation. The study’s theoretical and practical implications, its limitations, and directions for future research are discussed in the conclusion.

Self-regulation and Study-Related Health Outcomes: A Structural Equation Model of Regulatory Mode Orientations, Academic Burnout and Engagement Among University Students

Previous studies have shown that self-regulation is closely related to psychological well-being. However, as two types of self-regulation process, little is known about how the regulatory mode relates to good emotional health in academic settings. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role that the regulatory mode plays in college students’ academic engagement and burnout. 301 university students were recruited from two Chinese universities, and a structural equation model showed a negative relationship between the locomotion mode and academic burnout, and a positive one between the locomotion mode and academic engagement. In contrast, the assessment mode was negatively associated with academic engagement, yet showed a positive correlation with academic burnout. Implications for the mechanism of how the regulatory mode influences academic engagement and burnout in college students are discussed.

Regulatory mode orientations and well‐being in an organizational setting: the differential mediating roles of workaholism and work engagement

AbstractThis paper examines the relationships between two independent regulatory mode orientations, locomotion and assessment, and well‐being in organizational contexts. Results from a sample of 320 employees revealed that locomotion was negatively associated with burnout and psychological strain whereas assessment was positively associated with burnout and strain. The effects of locomotion and assessment on burnout and strain were mediated by workaholism and work engagement. Both locomotion and assessment predicted greater workaholism; however, locomotion was positively associated whereas assessment was negatively associated with work engagement. In turn, workaholism predicted greater burnout and strain, and work engagement predicted less burnout and strain. Implications for employee health and organizational success are discussed.

Regulatory modes and time management: How locomotors and assessors plan and perceive time

This research investigated the relationship between regulatory mode orientations (locomotion and assessment), time management behaviours and the perceived control of time. "Locomotion" refers to the aspect of self-regulation involving the movement from state to state, whereas "assessment" is the comparative aspect of self-regulation that refers to the critical evaluation of alternative goals and the means for achieving them. The Italian versions of the Time Management Behavior Scale and the Perceived Control of Time Scale, as well as the Locomotion and Assessment Regulatory Modes Scales were administered to 339 Italian participants (249 students and 90 employees). The results supported the notion that locomotors and assessors differ in the ways they perceive the control of time. Locomotion was found to be positively related to perceived control of time. In contrast, assessment was negatively related to perceived control of time. Furthermore, the two time management dimensions of setting goals and priorities and preference for organisation were shown to mediate the relationship between locomotion and perceived control of time, whereas assessment proved to be unrelated to all time management behaviours. These findings highlight the importance of regulatory modes for human behaviour regarding time management and perceived control of time.

Subordinate regulatory mode and leader power: Interpersonal regulatory complementarity predicts task performance

AbstractThis research examines the implications of locomotion regulatory mode (orientation toward making progress on goals) and assessment regulatory mode (orientation toward critically evaluating alternatives) for employees' performance. Regulatory mode theory suggests that, although these are both integral to self‐regulation, they may also function independently of one another and affect distinct, but equally important, performance aspects. We propose and find that performance of locomotion‐oriented employees is complemented by their leader's expert power (ability to provide superior knowledge and information), whereas performance of assessment‐oriented employees is complemented by their leader's coercive power (ability to administer negative consequences). These findings support the regulatory mode interpersonal complementarity hypothesis and show that complementarity plays a role in self‐regulation of objective performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On the psychology of time in action: Regulatory mode orientations and procrastination.

Six studies explored the relations of the regulatory modes of locomotion and assessment to individuals' tendency toward procrastination. Across academic and organizational contexts, and a variety of ways of assessing procrastination, the authors found assessment to be positively related to procrastination and locomotion to be negatively related to procrastination. Discussion considered implications of these findings to task environments that may instill the tendencies toward locomotion or assessment and to task requirements where timeliness and punctuality are (or are not) prioritized.

REGULATORY FIT: HOW INDIVIDUALS PROGRESS THROUGH THE STAGES OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS.

The article presents an approach to creativity and creative problem solving from a self-regulatory theory perspective. Self-regulation is defined as a motivated cognitive process that determines how and when individuals determine what they need or want, how they choose to do it, and how they actually do it. The creative process is described as an action process. Regulatory fit theory is applied to explain how the degree of fit between one's regulatory mode orientation and the task requirements of each stage dictates how one moves through the multi-stage creative process. The authors propose that the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and creativity is a blend of both.

Tailoring visual images to fit: Value creation in persuasive messages

AbstractThe present studies aimed to extend Regulatory Fit Theory in the domain of persuasive communication by (a) using printed advertisement images without any verbal claim, instead of purely or mostly verbal messages; (b) selecting the images to fit the distinct orientations of regulatory mode rather than regulatory focus; and (c) priming regulatory mode orientation instead of relying on chronic prevalence of either locomotion or assessment orientation. We found that recipients primed with a locomotion orientation experienced fit, and were more persuaded, when exposed to “dynamic” versus “static” visual images; conversely, recipients primed with an assessment orientation experienced fit and were more persuaded when exposed to “static” versus “dynamic” images. Our findings show that the experience of fit can be induced by visual messages, resulting in positive effects in terms of attitude toward product advertisement and estimated price of advertised products. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Regulatory mode preferences for autonomy supporting versus controlling instructional styles

Three studies carried out in educational settings examined determinants of teacher's instructional styles and students' degree of satisfaction with the learning climates created by such styles. Based upon regulatory mode theory, Studies 1 and 2 tested the hypotheses that teachers' locomotion orientation will be positively related, and their assessment orientation will be negatively related, to autonomy supportive (vs. controlling) instructional styles. Study 3 tested the hypothesis that students' regulatory mode will exhibit a fit effect with the prevalent learning climate in their school. Participants for Study 1 were 378 teachers (278 females); for Study 2 were 96 teachers (65 females); and for Study 3 were 190 students (all males). Participants completed questionnaires that included measures of teaching styles (Studies 1 and 2), perceived learning climate and satisfaction (Study 3), and regulatory mode orientations (Studies 1 and 3). In Study 2 regulatory mode orientations were experimentally induced. Results confirmed that teachers' autonomy supportive versus controlling styles were positively related to their locomotion orientations and negatively related to their assessment orientation, and that students with a stronger locomotion (vs. assessment) orientation reported a higher level of satisfaction when the learning climate was perceived as autonomy supportive (vs. controlling). The present studies show that teachers' preference for adopting an instructional style is influenced by their regulatory mode orientations, and that the effects of a learning climate on students' satisfaction are contingent on a fit between type of learning climate and students' regulatory mode orientations.