Promotion and prevention focus on alternative hypotheses: implications for attributional functions.
Five studies examined hypothesis generation and discounting in causal attribution from the perspective of regulatory focus theory (E. T. Higgins, 1997, 1998). According to this theory, a promotion focus is associated with generating more and simultaneously endorsing multiple hypotheses, whereas a prevention focus is associated with generating only a few hypotheses and selecting 1 hypothesis from a given set. Five studies confirmed these predictions for both situationally induced and chronic individual differences in regulatory focus. In Studies 1, 2, and 3, individuals in a promotion focus generated more hypotheses than individuals in a prevention focus. In Studies 4 and 5, individuals in a promotion focus discounted explanations in light of alternatives less than individuals in a prevention focus. Study 5 also found that in a promotion focus, person explanations were generalized across situations less than in a prevention focus.
Liberman
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Department of Psychology, Columbia University, USA. nliberman@indiana.edu
Molden
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DC
Idson
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Higgins
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D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008128:Logic; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012718:Set, Psychology