Alfred Adler Lecture 2 Flashcards
fictional finalisms
idealized images of self in the future that we aspire to become and serve as behavioral guides in the present
Tory Higgins Regulatory Focus Theory core tenet:
the manner in which individuals regulate their behavior depends upon the needs to which that regulation is directed
Nurturance-need related strivings
- nurturance needs related to growth and accomplishment
- concern with satisfying these needs activates promotion focused regulation (becoming ones ideal)
- strategy for satisfying is eagerness
promotion focused regulation
sensitivity to presence or absence of positive outcomes
security-need related strivings
- security needs related to satisfy and protection
- concern with satisfying these needs activates prevention focused regulation (avoiding “ought not”)
- strategy for satisfying is vigilance
prevention focus
sensitivity to presence or absence of negative outcomes
eagerness strategy (make sure that)
a. opportunities to gain good things are taken
b. don’t miss these opportunities
vigilance strategy (make sure that)
a. safety is secured by avoiding potentially harmful actions
b. danger and harm does not occur by doing something stupid
Crowe & Higgins
- promotion focus led to eagerness and willingness to make mistakes
- prevention focus led to vigilance to not commit a mistake in order to avoid something bad
Semin et al. hypothesis
promotion focused folks eagerly approach matches to desired end states represented as broadly as possible and..
prevention focus vigilantly avoid mismatches with desired end states represented in very concrete terms
Semin et al. study 1
- subjects who were randomly assigned to imagine how they would be a good friend (promotion focus) described their strategies in abstract terms
*subjects randomly assigned to imagine how they would try not to be a bad friend (prevention focus) describe their strategies in concrete terms
Semin et al. study 3
kids who tended to be promotion-focused found an abstract appeal about the benefits of exercising to be more persuasive whereas kids who tended to be prevention focused found a concrete appeals about exercise benefits
sholer et al.
- when promotion-focused subjects were placed in a situation of “big loss,” they were more likely to prefer risky investment options that would allow them to get “back to even”
- more motivated to approach a state of safety and security
Zou et al. hypothesis
promotion-focused subjects would be risk-averse in situations of “big gain” to avoid sadness that accompanies their absence
Zou et al. study 1
subjects were given money to invest with the risk of winning or losing more and working off the debt, after seeing how well they were doing, they were given a chance for a 50/50 win or lose and work off the debt
Results: promotion focused subjects were more likely to choose the risky stocks than were their prevention focused counterparts in both the no-gain and small-gain conditions, however, in the large-gain condition, a promotion-focus predicted the conservative, risk aversive option
Zou et al. Study 2
the subjects regulatory focus was manipulated rather than measured
results: prevention-focused subjects choices did not differ as a function of gain-condition but the promotion-focus subjects more likely to choose the risky option in “no gain” condition and less likely to choose it in “large gain” condition
Zou et al. Study 3
in this study an “up 20 pounds” gain was made to seem significant and large for some subjects and small and non-significant for other subjects
Results: found that a promotion focus was related to a conservative stock choice in the “large gains” condition to the extent that those gains were made to seem “significant” or “large”
Zou et al. study 4
subject was asked to indicate how much they would have to earn in order for a gain to feel like they’ve made big progress
Results: promotion-focus was only related to a conservative stock choice when prior gains exceeded these defined thresholds for “large”
Prevention-focused folks will _______ if it will restore __________
take risks; sense of security
Promotion-focused folks will _______ if they feel like they have__________
avoid risks; already acquired or accomplished enough
