Habitual self-regulatory orientation and ease-of-retrieval: Regulatory focus qualifies the impact of subjective experiences in judgment

Abstract

Eager strategies of self-regulation, known as promotion orientation, and cautious or vigilant strategies of self-regulation, known as prevention orientation, have been found to be associated with distinct patterns of goal attainment and information exploration. Building on these findings, we hypothesize that self-regulation in a promotion versus prevention focus triggers specific patterns of information use in judgment. Specifically, we predict that reliance on ease-of-retrieval-the feeling of ease or difficulty associated with accessing information-is particularly pronounced with a predominant promotion-compared to prevention-orientation. Two experiments that manipulate ease-of-retrieval and assess habitual differences in regulatory focus orientation support this prediction. The current contribution thus extends previous research by documenting that habitual tendencies of promotion-oriented as compared to prevention-oriented self-regulation are associated with reliance on distinct information sources in judgment.

Predicting Organizational Form Choice from Pre-Entry Characteristics of Franchisees

“…prevention or promotion foci) ( Higgins, 1997 ). These systems are aligned with distinct sets of motivations, goals, emotions and behavioural tendencies ( Greifeneder and Keller, 2012;Higgins, 1998 ). While each independent self-regulation tendency may be active at the same time ( Molden et al, 2008 ), individual foci may be habitually or chronically dominant or may be more pronounced than another in response to certain signals or stimuli ( Higgins et al 2001 ).…”

“…Moreover, the operational nature of franchising obligates franchisees to follow established routines and processes to ensure system uniformity, thus restricting autonomy, freedom, and individual creativity (Kaufmann and Eroglu, 1999). When presented with new opportunities, prevention-focused individuals tend to follow the status quo while promotion-focused individuals will tend to be more entrepreneurial and seize recognised opportunities (Greifeneder and Keller, 2012; Liberman and Trope, 1998). Based on the preceding discussion, we argue:…”

Regulatory focus in economic contexts

“…Previous research has found, for instance, that individuals in a promotion focus are more likely than individuals in a prevention focus to follow their internal impulses, like their affective responses and implicit preferences in deciding which alternative to choose (Florack et al, 2010;Greifeneder & Keller, 2012;Pham & Avnet, 2004, 2009. Indeed, the reliance on affective or implicit responses can be seen as a strategy that matches the eagerness of promotion-focused self-regulation: Reliance on implicit responses and affect is fast and can lead to good decisions (cf.…”

The experience of regret in small business failure: who’s to blame?

“…promotion-focused) or may be driven by fear and the need to avoid potential loss or fulfil obligations (i.e. prevention-focused) (Das and Kumar, 2011;Greifeneder and Keller, 2012;Lee et al, 2000;Vohs and Baumeister, 2016). While these regulatory patterns may coexist and be active at the same time (Molden et al, 2008), typically, either one of these regulatory foci may be chronically dependent over time, or may be activated in response to external stimuli (Higgins et al, 2001;Mouakhar-Klouz, d'Astous and Darpy, 2016).…”