TY - JOUR

T1 - Regulatory focus and thinking about the future versus reality.

AU - Sevincer, A. Timur

AU - Oettingen, Gabriele

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 American Psychological Association

PY - 2021/9/1

Y1 - 2021/9/1

N2 - People oriented toward promotion are concerned with changing (improving) their current state, while those oriented toward prevention are concerned with maintaining (not worsening) their current state (Higgins, 1997). Because a promotion orientation is directed at moving from the reality to a better future, whereas a prevention orientation is directed at keeping the reality, we predicted and found in 4 studies that when thinking about important personal wishes or concerns, promotion-oriented participants focused more on the future (vs. the reality) than prevention-oriented participants. Promotion-oriented participants also viewed the future more positively compared to their reality than prevention-oriented participants. We assessed focus toward the future and reality by asking participants to name and write about an important personal wish or concern and analyzing the content of their written texts. We observed the effects when we manipulated participants’ regulatory focus by asking them to generate promotion (vs. prevention) oriented concerns (Studies 1 and 2) and when we measured their chronic regulatory focus (Study 3). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

AB - People oriented toward promotion are concerned with changing (improving) their current state, while those oriented toward prevention are concerned with maintaining (not worsening) their current state (Higgins, 1997). Because a promotion orientation is directed at moving from the reality to a better future, whereas a prevention orientation is directed at keeping the reality, we predicted and found in 4 studies that when thinking about important personal wishes or concerns, promotion-oriented participants focused more on the future (vs. the reality) than prevention-oriented participants. Promotion-oriented participants also viewed the future more positively compared to their reality than prevention-oriented participants. We assessed focus toward the future and reality by asking participants to name and write about an important personal wish or concern and analyzing the content of their written texts. We observed the effects when we manipulated participants’ regulatory focus by asking them to generate promotion (vs. prevention) oriented concerns (Studies 1 and 2) and when we measured their chronic regulatory focus (Study 3). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

KW - content-analyses

KW - future thinking

KW - prevention

KW - promotion

KW - self-regulation

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118927478&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/mot0000240

DO - 10.1037/mot0000240

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85118927478

VL - 7

SP - 334

EP - 344

JO - Motivation Science

JF - Motivation Science

SN - 2333-8113

IS - 3

ER -