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Promotion and prevention focus on alternative hypotheses: implications for attributional functions
N Liberman1, D C Molden, L C Idson
1Department of Psychology, Columbia University, USA. nliberman@indiana.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|February 24, 2001
Summary
Regulatory focus theory impacts causal attribution. Promotion focus leads to generating more hypotheses and less discounting, while prevention focus results in fewer hypotheses and more discounting.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Regulatory Focus Theory distinguishes between promotion (goal attainment) and prevention (duty/safety) orientations.
- These orientations influence cognitive processes, including hypothesis generation and evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how promotion and prevention regulatory focuses affect hypothesis generation and discounting in causal attribution.
- To test predictions derived from Regulatory Focus Theory in the context of attributional processes.
Main Methods:
- Five empirical studies were conducted.
- Participants experienced either situationally induced or chronic regulatory focus conditions.
- Hypothesis generation quantity and explanation discounting were measured.
Main Results:
- Individuals in a promotion focus generated significantly more hypotheses than those in a prevention focus.
- Promotion-focused individuals exhibited less discounting of explanations in the face of alternatives.
- In promotion focus, person explanations were generalized across situations less than in prevention focus.
Conclusions:
- Findings support Regulatory Focus Theory's predictions regarding hypothesis generation and discounting.
- Regulatory focus serves as a crucial factor in shaping causal attribution strategies.
- The study highlights distinct cognitive styles associated with promotion and prevention orientations.
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