The Impact of Regulatory Fit on Postdecision Evaluation

• Published in: Social behavior and personality Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 383 - 390
• Main Authors: Wang, Huaiyong, Liu, Yongfang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Palmerston North Scientific Journal Publishers 01.04.2016; Scientific Journal Publishers, Ltd; Scientific Journal Publishers Ltd
• Subjects: Boundary conditions; Decision making; Deliberative Decision Mode; Feeling Right; Hypotheses; Intuitive Decision Mode; Postdecision Evaluation; Prevention; Prevention Regulatory Focus; Promotion Regulatory Focus; Psychological research; Regulation; Regulatory Fit; Regulatory focus theory (Psychology); Researchers; Satisficing; Studies
• ISSN: 0301-2212; 1179-6391
• DOI: 10.2224/sbp.2016.44.3.383

We investigated the effect of regulatory fit between regulatory focus and decision mode on postdecision evaluation, and the mechanism underlying this effect, in a 2 (regulatory focus: promotion vs. prevention) × 2 (decision mode: intuitive vs. deliberative) between-subjects factorial-design experiment. Participants were 92 undergraduate students who underwent regulatory focus priming before performing a multiattribute decision-making task, and then completed measures concerning postdecision evaluation and feeling right. Results showed that promotion-focused participants in intuitive mode made a more favorable postdecision evaluation than did those in deliberative mode, whereas prevention-focused participants in deliberative mode made a more favorable postdecision evaluation than did those in intuitive mode. The mechanism underlying this impact was the experience of feeling right. Implications for future research are discussed.