Regulatory Focus Affects Predictions of the Future

This research investigated how regulatory focus might influence trend-reversal predictions. we hypothesized that compared with promotion focus,prevention focus hinders sense of control,which in turn predicts more trend-reversal developments. studies 1 and 3 revealed that participants expected trend-reversal developments to be more likely to occur when they focused on prevention than when they focused on promotion. study 2 extended the findings by including a control condition,and revealed that participants expected trend-reversal developments to be more likely to occur in the prevention condition than in the promotion and control conditions. studies 4 and 5 revealed that participants’ chronic prevention focus predicted a low sense of control (study 4),and that promotion focus predicted a high sense of control (studies 4 and 5). furthermore,participants with a high sense of control expected trend-reversal developments to be less likely to occur. thus,the results provided converging evidence for the hypothesis. © 2014 by the society for personality and social psychology,inc.