Regulatory Focus in Predictions About Others

Abstract

Based on social projection research, four studies investigated whether people rely on their own regulatory focus when making predictions about others. Chronic (Study 1) and induced (Study 2) regulatory focus shaped estimations of others' strategic promotion or prevention inclinations and choices between enriched (fitting promotion) and impoverished options (fitting prevention). Providing indirect process evidence via boundary conditions, participants only relied on their induced regulatory focus in predictions of others' inclinations to seek romantic alternatives to the extent that this did not run counter to stereotypic gender beliefs (Study 3). In addition, participants only relied on their induced regulatory focus in preference predictions concerning promotion and prevention products when they lacked idiosyncratic target knowledge (Study 4). These effects were not mediated by mood, judgment-certainty, perceived task-enjoyment, or task-difficulty. Implications of these findings for social projection research as well as possible interpersonal consequences are delineated.

Fitting motivational content and process: A systematic investigation of fit between value framing and self‐regulation

“…Second, previous research on regulatory fit found a similar asymmetry as we did, with fit effects emerging only for promotion focus/approach orientation (e.g., Fayant, Muller, Nurra, Alexopoulos, & Palluel‐Germain, ; Nussinson et al, ; Righetti et al, ; see also Woltin & Yzerbyt, ). This has been attributed to the greater focus on similarities rather than differences under promotion focus/approach orientation (Förster, ; Förster, Liberman, & Kuschel, ).…”

Trait and perceived environmental competitiveness in achievement situations

“…However, Woltin and Yzerbyt () recently documented the projection of general motivational orientations, namely, promotion and prevention regulatory foci. Our work suggests that this projection of general motivational orientations extends beyond dispositional regulatory foci to dispositional competitiveness.…”

The “I” in us, or the eye on us? Regulatory focus, commitment and derogation of an attractive alternative person

“…This is a non-intrusive and reliable methodology extensively used in the literature [46–48]. Following this manipulation, we asked individuals to report their initial attraction to an attractive target and their romantic commitment.…”