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Motivations underlying attitudes: regulatory focus and majority versus minority support
Author(s) -
FalomirPichastor Juan M.,
Mugny Gabriel,
Quiamzade Alain,
Gabarrot Fabrice
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/ejsp.494
Subject(s) - regulatory focus theory , psychology , promotion (chess) , social psychology , focus (optics) , political science , physics , optics , politics , creativity , law
Drawing on regulatory focus theory, the present work examined the motivations underlying intergroup attitudes expressed under conditions of majority versus minority support. In two studies, participants expressed their attitudes towards equality and non‐discrimination of foreigners and were informed that the equality and non‐discrimination principle was supported by either a majority or a minority. Regulatory focus was assessed as the extent to which participants felt promotion‐related and prevention‐related emotions when acting either inconsistently or consistently with the egalitarian principle. Results provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that attitudes are related to prevention emotions when supported by a majority, but to promotion emotions when supported by a minority. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.