Activity Engagement as Escape from Self: The Role of Self-Suppression and Self-Expansion

Abstract

A two-dimensional model on escape motives in activity engagement was developed in three studies. We suggested that motivation to escape the self through engagement in an activity partly derives from intentions to either prevent negative affect or to promote positive affect. A scale for measuring these intentional mindsets was developed consisting of the subcategories self-suppression and self-expansion. Results showed that the dimensions were differently related to psychological predictors, outcomes, and experiences in the activity engagement. We argue that the present research introduces escapism as a relevant theoretical and empirical concept applicable to several types of activity engagements.

Passive Facebook use, Facebook addiction, and associations with escapism: An experimental vignette study

“…However, other research defines escapism in different ways. For example, Stenseng, Rise and Kraft (2012) define escapism as a mindset resulting from task absorption, temporary disassociation, and a reduction in self-evaluation, whilst Baumeister (1990) defines escapism as an avoidance of critical self-evaluation. The present research did not consider whether these concepts of escapism had an association with PFU or an addiction to PFU.…”

Regulatory motivations in celebrity interest: Self-suppression and self-expansion.

“…In the current study we seek to develop and evaluate a scale that measures both selfexpansion and self-suppression in celebrity interest, named RMiCI, following the literature detailing the leisure activity engagement model (Stenseng et al, 2012) and RFT (Higgins, 1997(Higgins, , 1998. The aim of Study 1 was to examine whether scores on a measure developed to assess RMiCI demonstrate a replicable two-factor structure comprising self-expansion and self-suppression.…”

“…Given that, generally, there is no implicit threat in activities related to celebrity, we would expect there to be no relationship between celebrity interest and the FFFS. The fourth aspect of our research is to consider the convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of scores on the RMiCI measure by replicating the differential finding that self-expansion (through activity engagement) and self-suppression (through activity prevention) are Regulatory motivations in celebrity interest 6 associated with, and also predict over time, higher levels of positive and negative affect respectively (Stenseng et al, 2012). …”

“…promotion focus or self-expansion, in which the individual seeks self-expansion motivated by personal growth, and prevention focus or self-suppression, in which the motivation centres on the suppression of negative outcomes in relation to personal goals or negative evaluation by others (Stenseng et al, 2012). Given that an interest in celebrities (be they film, music, or sports celebrities, the most common types reported to be followed [Maltby et al, 2002]) is, in the first instance, designed to fill individuals' time, we suggest that applying the leisure activity engagement model to measure celebrity interest is of value.…”

“…The dualistic model of leisure activity engagement (Stenseng, Rise, & Kraft, 2012) is based on Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1997(Higgins, , 1998) that suggests two self-regulatory focuses:…”