title: Self-regulation and protective health behaviour: how regulatory focus and anticipated regret are related to vaccination decisions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined how individual motivational orientations and anticipated regret are related to the protective health decision of vaccination behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proposed relations were examined in a large-scale sample (N = 3168) and three medium-sized samples (N = 151, N = 194, N = 208). Questionnaires were applied to assess regulatory focus, anticipated regret and vaccination behaviour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased prevention-focused self-regulation - which is represented by concerns about security-related goals, responsibilities and obligations - was related to a greater likelihood of vaccination. Prevention-focused individuals' higher likelihood of getting vaccinated seems at least in part to be a consequence of anticipated regret for not vaccinating. Study 3 suggests that regulatory focus is less related to vaccination decisions when regret is increased by the decision-making context; that is, when information highlighting vaccination effectiveness and a low likelihood of adverse responses is provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevention-focused self-regulation is related to a greater likelihood of engaging in health-protective behaviour. This can be explained by prevention-focused individuals' greater tendency to anticipate regret about getting ill as a consequence of not adopting protective measures. If people perceive a protective measure such as a vaccination as highly effective, anticipated regret for not adopting it is generally increased, and individual differences in regulatory focus no longer predict the decision.
authors.affiliation: a Freie Universität Berlin , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leder
authors.forename: Arnd
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Florack
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D065840:Protective Factors; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines
keywords: anticipated regret; protective health behaviour; regulatory focus; self-regulation; vaccination