title: Regulatory focus moderates the relationship between task control and physiological and psychological markers of stress: a work simulation study.
abstract: This experiment examined whether trait regulatory focus moderates the effects of task control on stress reactions during a demanding work simulation. Regulatory focus describes two ways in which individuals self-regulate toward desired goals: promotion and prevention. As highly promotion-focused individuals are oriented toward growth and challenge, it was expected that they would show better adaptation to demanding work under high task control. In contrast, as highly prevention-focused individuals are oriented toward safety and responsibility they were expected to show better adaptation under low task control. Participants (N=110) completed a measure of trait regulatory focus and then three trials of a demanding inbox activity under either low, neutral, or high task control. Heart rate variability (HRV), affective reactions (anxiety & task dissatisfaction), and task performance were measured at each trial. As predicted, highly promotion-focused individuals found high (compared to neutral) task control stress-buffering for performance. Moreover, highly prevention-focused individuals found high (compared to low) task control stress-exacerbating for dissatisfaction. In addition, highly prevention-focused individuals found low task control stress-buffering for dissatisfaction, performance, and HRV. However, these effects of low task control for highly prevention-focused individuals depended on their promotion focus.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. Electronic address: s.parker@psy.uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stacey L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Kaitlan R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Laurie
authors.affiliation: School of Management, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
authors.forename: Cameron J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: School of Management, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
authors.forename: Nerina L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Jimmieson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Heart rate variability; Occupational stress; Regulatory focus; Task control; Task performance; Work simulation