Regulatory focus moderates process feedback and motivation

Abstract

The present study investigated interactions between process-positive and process-negative feedback and a regulatory focus on motivation, defined as the intention to exert effort and interest in a task and activities during free choice. University students (N=64) were induced to have either a promotion or a prevention orientation. The results indicated that process feedback interacted with regulatory focus such that promotion-focused positive feedback was more associated with increased motivation than negative feedback was, whereas in the prevention-focus group, negative feedback was more associated with increased motivation than positive feedback was. No interaction was found between process feedback and regulatory focus on activity during the free choice period. According to Higgins' (2000) theory of regulatory fit, regulatory fit increases the strength of engagement. The present results suggest that motivation is highest when there is promotion/process positive feedback regulatory fit, and when there is prevention/process negative feedback regulatory fit.