When to Begin? Regulatory Focus and Initiating Goal Pursuit

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Freitas, Antonio L. Liberman, Nira Salovey, Peter Higgins, Edward Tory
Copyright Year	2002
Abstract	The authors propose that a prevention focus fosters preferences to initiate action earlier than does a promotion focus. Data from four studies either measuring or manipulating regulatory focus support this proposal. Participants in a prevention focus preferred initiating academic (Studies 1 and 2) and nonacademic (Study 3) actions sooner than did participants in a promotion focus. Participants working through a set of anagrams solved those that were prevention framed before those that were promotion framed (Study 4). Moreover, regulatory focus and perceived task valence each accounted for unique variance in participants' task-initiation preferences (Study 3). The findings' implications are discussed for task choice, susceptibility to distraction, and other aspects of self-regulation.
Starting Page	121
Ending Page	130
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.1177/0146167202281011
Volume Number	28
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/afreitas-/publications/freitas_liberman_salovey_higgins2002.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/higgins/papers/freitasetal2002.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://psychology.psy.sunysb.edu/afreitas-/publications/freitas_liberman_salovey_higgins2002.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202281011
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article