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Related Experiment Videos

Transfer of value from fit.

E Tory Higgins1, Lorraine Chen Idson, Antonio L Freitas

  • 1Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA. tory@psych.columbia.edu

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|June 10, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Experiencing regulatory fit, aligning goals with orientation, increases an object's perceived value. This value transfer occurs even for unrelated items, suggesting a "value confusion" effect.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Consumer Behavior

Background:

  • Regulatory fit occurs when goal pursuit aligns with an individual's regulatory orientation (e.g., promotion or prevention).
  • Previous research established the positive experience associated with regulatory fit.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the value derived from regulatory fit can transfer to the evaluation of a subsequent object.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of this value transfer effect.

Main Methods:

  • Five studies were conducted, involving participants evaluating objects after engaging in goal-pursuit strategies.
  • Studies 1 and 2 manipulated regulatory fit by having participants choose a coffee mug using either an eager (promotion) or vigilant (prevention) strategy.
  • Studies 3-5 examined potential mediators like mood, perceived effectiveness, and perceived ease.

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Main Results:

  • Participants assigned a higher monetary value to a coffee mug when they had chosen it using a strategy that fit their regulatory orientation compared to a non-fitting strategy.
  • The observed value transfer was not explained by positive mood, perceived effectiveness, or perceived ease.
  • Value transfer occurred even when the evaluated object was independent of the initial fit-inducing process.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support a value confusion account, suggesting that the positive value experienced during regulatory fit is misattributed to subsequent, unrelated objects.
  • Regulatory fit can enhance object valuation through a mechanism distinct from mood or perceived utility.
  • This research highlights a novel pathway through which goal-pursuit strategies influence economic decision-making.