Information Matching: How Regulatory Focus Affects Information Preference and Information Choice

Abstract

Individuals often prefer information that matches their needs. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between regulatory focus and information preference. Specifically, we investigated the effects of promotion-focused information and prevention-focused information on explicit and implicit information preferences and choice behavior, and examined the mediating roles of information preference. In Experiment 1, we found that prevention-focused individuals were more likely to choose functional information, whereas promotion-focused people were more likely to choose hedonic information. However, there was no significant relationship between regulatory focus and explicit preference and no mediating effect of explicit information preference. In Experiment 2, we found that promotion-focused individuals had a greater implicit preference for hedonic information than did prevention-focused individuals. Implicit information preference mediated the influence of regulatory focus on information choice. The findings of this study may help us understand the psychological mechanism underlying information preference and have important implications for information dissemination.

To Each Their Own: The Impact of Regulatory Focus on Consumers’ Response to Online Information Load

“…Prior research has shown that the RTs may relate to difficulties in decision-making and cognitive load ( Cowen et al, 2002 ; Wang et al, 2016 ). Also, the RTs for the matched tasks would be shorter than those for the unmatched jobs ( Wang and Wang, 2021 ). In the current study, promotion-focused consumers may fit more with the low IL condition than the high IL condition.…”

The Impact of Career Plateau on Job Burnout in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderating Role of Regulatory Focus

“…In other words, the pattern of behavior changes according to the focus type of self-regulation, which is a specific psychological need in an individual. Promotion focus, a self-regulation type that seeks to pursue pleasure, tends to improve one's current status in order to achieve the desired outcome and is a motivator sensitive to positive outcomes [56,57]. The focus on promotion is deeply related to advancement, growth, accomplishment, and enhancement.…”

“…Self-regulation is the motivation to consciously change one's thoughts or behavioral responses in pursuit of goals or ideals. Many previous studies e.g., [54,57,63] have demonstrated that these regulatory motivations affect a wide range of psychological processes, such as emotions, memory, and approaches to problem-solving. There are various cases where self-regulation is needed in daily life, such as resistance to temptation, suppression of impulses to give up difficult tasks, and patience while experiencing psychological pain [56].…”