Regulatory focus, time perspective, locus of control and sensation seeking as predictors of risky driving behaviors

Lemarié, Linda; Bellavance, François; Chébat, Jean-Charles

doi:10.1016/j.aap.2019.02.025

Cited by 46 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Our results also showed that having a focus on prevention (vs. promotion) predicted more risk perceptions and more worry during the pandemic, as well as more protective behaviors (e.g., washing hands more frequently). These findings are aligned with other studies showing that having a prevention (vs. promotion) focus helps people to engage in health-protective behaviors [18][19][20][21], arguably because these people perceive more threats to their health and have more control over their behavior [22,23]. Interestingly, our results seem to contradict past evidence that prevention (vs. promotion) focused people tended to be less fearful about being infected with COVID-19 [17].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Research has consistently shown that prevention (vs. promotion) focused people are more careful with their health [15], engaging in protective behaviors such as adherence to medical prescriptions [18], screening for cancer [19], smoking cessation [20], and using condoms with casual partners [21]. This occurs because prevention (vs. promotion) focused people are more aware of health threats and believe they have more control over their behavior [22,23].…”

Section: The Role Of Regulatory Focus On Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Having a Prevention Regulatory Focus Longitudinally Predicts Distress and Health-Protective Behaviors During the COVID-9 Pandemic

Dl¹,

Lopes²,

Rn³

2020

Preprint

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Background: Past research has shown that regulatory focus shapes people’s health and well-being, with those who are focused on prevention (vs. promotion) being more motivated by safety and being less inclined to take risks. Purpose: In the current study, we tested if having a prevention (vs. promotion) focus before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak predicted perceptions and health outcomes and threat over the course of the pandemic.Methods: Participants (N = 161, 51.6% women; Mage = 34.04, SD = 7.77) took part in a longitudinal study. Measures were assessed before the pandemic was declared (in November 2019, T1) and after a global pandemic was declared (on June 2020, T2).Results: Results suggest that people who were more focused on prevention prior to the onset of the pandemic (at T1) perceived greater risk of contracting COVID-19, were more worried about being infected, and engaged in more preventative behaviors during the pandemic (at T2). Additionally, they also reported less anxiety and felt healthier (at T2). Conclusions: People focused on prevention (i.e., motivated by security) are more aware of health threats and more likely to engage in health-protective behaviors. Acting in accordance to their motives seems to help these people to experience better health and reduces anxiety about health even during a pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: The Role Of Regulatory Focus On Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Having a Prevention Regulatory Focus Longitudinally Predicts Distress and Health-Protective Behaviors During the COVID-9 Pandemic

Dl¹,

Lopes²,

Rn³

2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…According to Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1998(Higgins, , 2015, people with a prevention (vs. promotion) focus tend to be more averse to risks and perceive more threats to their health (e.g., Lemarié et al, 2019;Rodrigues et al, 2019;Zou & Scholer, 2016) and are more likely to engage in health protection behaviors (e.g., Fuglestad et al, 2013;Rodrigues, Lopes, Pereira, et al, 2020;Zou & Scholer, 2016). For single people, this extends to stronger intentions to protect their sexual health (Rodrigues et al, 2019;Rodrigues & Kärgel, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People with a prevention focus are motivated by security and obligations, seek to avoid negative outcomes of risky situations even at the cost of missed opportunities, and experience negative affect by the anticipation of such outcomes (Higgins et al, 2001;Idson et al, 2000). These people are motivated by risk perception and report having greater control over their own behaviors (Lemarié et al, 2019;Rodrigues et al, 2019). In contrast, people with a promotion focus are motivated by pleasure and opportunities to advance, seek to obtain gains even at the risk of negative outcomes, and experience positive affect by the anticipation of such outcomes (Higgins et al, 2001;Idson et al, 2000).…”

Section: The Role Of Regulatory Focus In Shaping Health Behaviorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Motives for Security Influence Sexual Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Rodrigues¹,

Balzarini²,

Zoppolat³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Amidst a global pandemic, people’ survival needs become salient and the ability for people to regulate feeling and actions might be particularly relevant to protecting oneself from harm. Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1998) proposes that people pursue their goals by having a focus on prevention (i.e., motivated by security) or promotion (i.e., motivated by pleasure). Prior research indicates that people focused on prevention (vs. promotion) are more likely to engage in health-protective behaviors, including sexual health behaviors, because they perceive more threats. Extending this reasoning to the sexual activity of single people during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a pre-registered longitudinal study (N = 174) examining the role of regulatory focus on people’s sexual behaviors. As hypothesized, results showed that single people who reported having a more prevention focus at the onset of the pandemic perceived greater threats caused by the pandemic two weeks later, which, in turn, predicted less frequent sexual activity and engagement in sex with fewer sexual partners the following two weeks. These effects were consistent even when controlling for promotion (i.e., pleasure motivations), personality, gender, and sexual orientation. Findings are discussed considering their implications for the sexual functioning and sexual health of single people.

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“…and H2. Prevention (vs. promotion) focused people are driven by security, have more control over their behaviors, and are more aware of health threats (Higgins, 1998;Higgins et al, 2001;Lemarié et al, 2019;Rodrigues et al, 2019). As such, they are more careful in their search for information and procedures that can help them protect their health, leading them to feel protected against a potential infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regulatory Focus and Perceived Safety with Casual Partners: Implications for Perceived Risk and Casual Sex Intentions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dl¹,

Kärgel²

2020

Preprint

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Background: Fundamental motives for survival help people regulate their goal pursuit, by shaping perceptions, feelings and actions. Motives for security (i.e., prevention focus) are associated with risk awareness and risk avoidance, whereas motives for pleasure (i.e., promotion focus) are associated with risk taking. Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, survival needs and health risks are particularly salient. Hence, people focused on prevention (vs. promotion) should be more aware of health risks, more careful in their sexual behaviors, and less likely to take sexual health risks with casual partners. However, feeling safer with casual partners might mitigate some of the risks associated with sexual behaviors during this pandemic. Methods: We administered an online survey in English, Spanish and German to 550 single participants (57.6% women; Mage = 24.72, SD = 5.75). Results: Prevention focused participants were less fearful of COVID-19 infection, perceived to be better informed, and retrieved their information from scientific sources. They were also less likely to have condomless sex with casual partners, regardless how safe they perceived to be with them. Promotion focused participants were more fearful of COVID-19 infection and perceived to be better informed, but retrieved their information from non-scientific sources. They were more willing to have sex with casual partners, and more likely to consider having condomless oral sex, but only if they felt safer (vs. less safe) with their casual partnersConclusions: Our findings show the importance of individual motivations and interpersonal dynamics for risk perception and sexual health behaviors.

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Regulatory focus, time perspective, locus of control and sensation seeking as predictors of risky driving behaviors

Cited by 46 publications

References 54 publications

Having a Prevention Regulatory Focus Longitudinally Predicts Distress and Health-Protective Behaviors During the COVID-9 Pandemic

Having a Prevention Regulatory Focus Longitudinally Predicts Distress and Health-Protective Behaviors During the COVID-9 Pandemic

Individual Motives for Security Influence Sexual Activity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Regulatory Focus and Perceived Safety with Casual Partners: Implications for Perceived Risk and Casual Sex Intentions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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