Expectancy × Value Effects: Regulatory Focus as Determinant of Magnitude and Direction

The authors propose that a promotion focus involves construal of achievement goals as aspirations whose attainment brings accomplishment. Commitment to these accomplishment goals is characterized by attempts to attain the highest expected utility. In contrast, a prevention focus involves construal of achievement goals as responsibilities whose attainment brings security. Commitment to these security goals is characterized by doing what is necessary. The different nature of commitment to accomplishment goals versus security goals is predicted to influence the interactive effect of goal expectancy and goal value on goal commitment, as evident in both task performance and decision making. Four studies found that the classic positive interactive effect of expectancy and value on goal commitment increases with a promotion focus and decreases with a prevention focus.

[1]  A. Adler.  The Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology , 1924 .

[2]  H. Murray.  Explorations in personality : a clinical and experimental study of fifty men of college age , 1939 .

[3]  Kurt Lewin,et al.  Level of aspiration. , 1944 .

[4]  R. Filer,et al.  Frustration, satisfaction, and other factors affecting the attractiveness of goal objects. , 1952, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[5]  F. W. Irwin,et al.  Stated expectations as functions of probability and desirability of outcomes. , 1953, Journal of personality.

[6]  E. Tolman.  Principles of performance. , 1955, Psychological review.

[7]  J. W. Atkinson,et al.  Achievement motive and test anxiety conceived as motive to approach success and motive to avoid failure. , 1960, Journal of abnormal and social psychology.

[8]  Robert C. Davis,et al.  The Achieving Society , 1962 .

[9]  Abraham H. Maslow,et al.  Deficiency motivation and growth motivation. , 1962 .

[10]  D. Campbell,et al.  EXPERIMENTAL AND QUASI-EXPERIMENT Al DESIGNS FOR RESEARCH , 2012 .

[11]  V. Vroom.  Work and motivation , 1964 .

[12]  John W. Atkinson,et al.  Introduction: Motivation , 1964 .

[13]  Orlando Behling,et al.  The Postulates of Expectancy Theory , 1973 .

[14]  John W. Atkinson,et al.  Motivation and achievement , 1974 .

[15]  Terence R. Mitchell,et al.  Expectancy models of job satisfaction, occupational preference and effort: A theoretical, methodological, and empirical appraisal. , 1974 .

[16]  Yaacov Trope,et al.  Difficulty and diagnosticity as determinants of choice among tasks. , 1975 .

[17]  R. Teevan,et al.  Relationship between Incentive and Expectations of Success , 1976 .

[18]  Jerry L. Cohen,et al.  The Use of Subjective Expected Utility Theory as an Aid to Understanding Variables that Influence Helping Behavior. , 1978 .

[19]  R. Rosenthal.  Combining results of independent studies. , 1978 .

[20]  W. R. Crozier.  The interaction of value and subjective probability in risky decision‐making , 1979 .

[21]  A. Tversky,et al.  Prospect Theory : An Analysis of Decision under Risk Author ( s ) : , 2007 .

[22]  N. Feather,et al.  Values, expectations, and the prediction of social action: An expectancy-valence analysis , 1982 .

[23]  Norman S. Endler,et al.  Personality and the behavioral disorders , 1984 .

[24]  R. Fazio.  How do attitudes guide behavior , 1986 .

[25]  Julius Kuhl,et al.  Motivation and information processing: A new look at decision making, dynamic change, and action control , 1986 .

[26]  G. O'brien,et al.  Looking for employment: An expectancy–valence analysis of job‐seeking behaviour among young people , 1987 .

[27]  E. Higgins,et al.  Self-discrepancy: a theory relating self and affect. , 1987, Psychological review.

[28]  N. Feather,et al.  Values, valences, and course enrollment: Testing the role of personal values within an expectancy-valence framework. , 1988 .

[29]  Walter Schneider,et al.  Micro Experimental Laboratory: An integrated system for IBM PC compatibles , 1988 .

[30]  G. Vining,et al.  Data Analysis: A Model-Comparison Approach , 1989 .

[31]  Charles S. Carver,et al.  Principles of self-regulation: Action and emotion. , 1990 .

[32]  E. Higgins,et al.  Handbook of motivation and cognition : foundations of social behavior , 1991 .

[33]  E. Tory Higgins.  Development of self-regulatory and self-evaluative processes: Costs, benefits, and tradeoffs. , 1991 .

[34]  E. Higgins,et al.  Ideal versus ought predilections for approach and avoidance: distinct self-regulatory systems. , 1994, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[35]  E. Tory Higgins,et al.  Goals and Framing: How Outcome Focus Influences Motivation and Emotion , 1995 .

[36]  Russell H. Fazio,et al.  Attitudes as object-evaluation associations: Determinants, consequences, and correlates of attitude accessibility. , 1995 .

[37]  J. N. Bassili,et al.  Response Latency and the Accessibility of Voting Intentions: What Contributes to Accessibility and How it Affects Vote Choice , 1995 .

[38]  R. D. Kavanaugh,et al.  Emotion : interdisciplinary perspectives , 1996 .

[39]  E. Higgins,et al.  Social Psychology: Handbook of Basic Principles , 1998 .

[40]  E. Higgins.  Knowledge activation: Accessibility, applicability, and salience. , 1996 .

[41]  E. Higgins.  The "self digest": self-knowledge serving self-regulatory functions. , 1996, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[42]  E. Tory Higgins,et al.  Emotional experiences: The pains and pleasures of distinct regulatory systems. , 1996 .

[43]  E. Higgins,et al.  Emotional responses to goal attainment: strength of regulatory focus as moderator. , 1997, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[44]  E. Higgins,et al.  Regulatory Focus and Strategic Inclinations : Promotion and Prevention in Decision-Making , 1997 .

[45]  Performance incentives and means: How regulatory focus influences goal attainment. , 1998 .

[46]  N. Feather.  Expectations and Actions , 2021 .