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The Effects of Regulatory Focus on Braking Speed 1
Author(s) -
Werth Lioba,
Förster Jens
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00280.x
Subject(s) - regulatory focus theory , focus (optics) , promotion (chess) , psychology , social psychology , vigilance (psychology) , personality , applied psychology , political science , cognitive psychology , law , physics , politics , creativity , optics
According to regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997), promotion focus is concerned with accomplishments and aspirations leading to strategic eagerness; whereas prevention focus is concerned with safety and responsibilities leading to strategic vigilance. In this study, we investigate how regulatory focus theory can predict braking behavior in driving. In Study 1, participants' assessed regulatory focus strength as measured by chronic personality differences in regulatory focus predicted braking speed, in that chronic prevention‐oriented participants initiated braking earlier, as compared to promotion‐oriented people. In Study 2, we experimentally induced regulatory focus and showed that induced prevention focus enhanced braking speed (i.e., faster), as compared to induced promotion focus.