Need for Cognition Is Positively Related to Promotion Focus and Negatively Related to Prevention Focus

Abstract

Need for cognition (NFC) and regulatory focus (RF) are important variables with individual differences relevant to motivation and goal pursuit. These constructs are widely used in the literature, often separately; no work has simultaneously examined the need for cognition scale (NCS) and Lockwood’s general regulatory focus measure (GRFM). Here, we explore shared theoretical underpinnings of the two constructs and assess whether they may be driven by common underlying factors. Considering purported overlaps between these scales and other constructs (e.g., personality and cognitive processes), we take a strong inference approach to test hypothesized bridges between the two measures. In a large (N = 853) sample, we found NCS to be related positively to GRFM promotion and negatively to GRFM prevention scores, suggesting mutual ties with behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system, intrinsic motivation, openness, and creativity. A generalized approach motivation, as well as intrinsic motivation, may thus drive both NFC and RF.

Security motives and negative affective experiences during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Responses were given on 9-point scales (1 = Not at all true of me to 9 = Very true of me). Analyses of publicly available data from recent research showed strong correlations between the prevention focus item we used and its composite score, r = .60, p < .001, and between the promotion focus item we used and its composite score, r = .74, p < .001 (Oiknine et al, 2021). Higher scores indicated a greater focus on prevention or promotion goals.…”

“Lubricant” or “Stumbling Block”?: The Paradoxical Association Between Team Authoritarian Leadership and Creative Deviance

“…Much is already realized about individuals’ prevention regulatory focus and its compulsion, a series of studies have probed the sources, such as intrapersonal pressure, reputational concerns, autonomy support management, and so forth (e.g., Worthy et al, 2009 ; Pfattheicher, 2015 ; Lai et al, 2018 ; Oiknine et al, 2021 ). Conclusions from numerous researches demonstrated that people with prevention regulatory focus invest time, energy and efforts fully into their duties and obligations and subsequently, beget a sense of security ( Worthy et al, 2009 ; Lai et al, 2018 ).…”

Positive Performance Feedback and Innovation Search: New Ideas for Sustainable Business Development

“…They are more sensitive to negative information, value their reputation and external image, avoid failures and potential losses as much as possible, and prefer to adopt avoidance-based strategies in their behavioral strategies to obtain performance and protection [46]. In the process of running a business, the CEO takes the minimum goal to achieve profitability [19]. When CEOs with prevention focus traits conduct innovative searches, they apply their resources to familiar areas to the greatest extent possible.…”

“…Although CEOs are actively involved in the strategic choices of their firms [16] and the trade-offs between risk-taking and conservatism, studies examining the impact of CEOs' regulatory focus on firms' strategic choices remain scarce, implying that the impact of CEO regulatory focus on strategy may be underestimated. The innovation search behavior studied in this work is divided into depth search and breadth search behavior, both of which require CEOs to trade-off between innovativeness and riskiness [17][18][19]. From this, we propose that CEO regulatory focus may influence firms' search behavior choices in the face of the same positive performance feedback.…”