I can, I do, and so I like:From power to action and aesthetic preferences

The current work tested the hypothesis that power increases reliance on experiences of motor fluency in forming aesthetic preferences. In 4 experiments, participants reported their aesthetic preferences regarding a variety of targets (pictures, movements, objects, and letters). Experiments 1, 2, and 3 manipulated power and motor fluency (via motoric resonance, extraocular muscle training, and dominant hand restriction). Experiment 4 manipulated power and assessed chronic interindividual differences in motor fluency. Across these experiments, power consistently increased reliance on motor fluency in aesthetic preference judgments. This finding was not mediated by differences in mood, judgment certainty, perceived task-demands or task-enjoyment, and derived from the use of motor simulations rather than from power differences in the acquisition of motor experiences. This is the first demonstration suggesting that power changes the formation of preference judgments as a function of motor fluency experiences. The implications of this research for the links between power and action, as well as the understanding of fluency processes are discussed

Should I have been more careful or less careless? The comparative nature of counterfactual thoughts alters judgments of their impact

Counterfactual thoughts inherently imply a comparison of a given reality to an alternative state of affairs. Previous research mainly considered consequences of different counterfactual types, namely focus (other vs. self), structure (additive vs. subtractive), and direction (upward vs. downward). The current work investigates whether a ‘more-than’ versus ‘less-than’ comparative nature of counterfactual thoughts alters judgments of their impact. Four experiments demonstrated that self-generated other- (Studies 1 and 3) and self-focused (Study 2) upward counterfactuals are judged more impactful when they entail ‘more-than’ rather than ‘less-than’ comparisons. Judgments include plausibility and persuasiveness, as well as counterfactuals' likelihood to change future behavior and feelings. Self-reported ease of thought generation and (dis)fluency gauged by difficulty in thought generation was similarly affected. This more-less asymmetry reversed in Study 3 for downward counterfactual thoughts, with ‘less-than’ counterfactuals being judged more impactful and easier to generate. Further attesting to the role of ease, when spontaneously generating comparative counterfactuals, participants correctly provided more ‘more-than’ upward counterfactuals, but more ‘less-than’ downward counterfactuals (Study 4). These findings delineate one of the to date few conditions for a reversal of the more-less asymmetry and provide support for a correspondence principle, the simulation heuristic, and thus the role of ease in counterfactual thinking. They suggest that especially ‘more-than’ counterfactuals following negative events, and ‘less-than’ counterfactuals following positive events, are likely to have an important impact on people

Group-Based self-control: the impact of opportunities to reach a goal and of social identification

In der vorliegenden Dissertation wurde untersucht inwiefern Gruppenmitglieder kontrollierte Selbstregulation im Dienst von Gruppenzielen durch spezifische verhaltensmäßige oder mentale Strategien betreiben. Hierzu wurde das Handlungsphasenmodell der Entwicklungsregulation (J. Heckhausen, 1999), das unterschiedliche Selbstkontrollstrategien in prä- und post-Deadline Phasen von individueller Entwicklungszielverfolgung beschreibt, auf die Gruppenebene angewandt und mit dem Ansatz der sozialen Identität (z.B. Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Turner et al., 1987) verbunden. Folgende generelle Hypothese wurde getestet: Gruppenmitglieder, die mit einer Deadline konfrontiert sind, werden umso adäquater und stärker phasen-kongruente Selbstkontrollstrategien auswählen und anwenden, je stärker sie sich mit ihrer Gruppe identifizieren. Zusammenfassend zeigen die fünf Studien der vorliegenden Dissertation, dass die Selbstkontrollstrategien für eine individuelle Zielverfolgung vor und nach einer Deadline zur Zielerreichung auch auf die Gruppenebene angewandt werden können, wo das soziale Selbst das Agens der Handlung ist. Somit bekräftigen die Befunde die Annahmen des Handlungsphasenmodells (J. Heckhausen, 1999), indem sie es für die Gruppenebene erweitern. Ferner wurde gezeigt, dass die Selbstkontrollstrategien als Mittel für Ziele genutzt werden, die durch die Identitätsmanagement Strategien (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) implizierten werden – und somit, dass sie sich von ihnen unterscheiden. Außerdem moderierte die soziale Identifikation den Einfluss der Deadline Phase einer Gruppe auf die Selbstkontrollstrategienutzung von Gruppenmitgliedern. Die Befunde bekräftigen somit die Annahme, dass gruppenbasierte Selbstregulation als Phänomen existiert (vgl. Sassenberg & Woltin, 2008) und dass Systeme der Selbstregulation konzeptuell in gleicher Weise auf der individuellen wie auch auf der Gruppenebene wirken (Smith, 2002).This dissertation investigated group members’ controlled self-regulation serving group goals in terms of specific behavioral and mental strategies. To this point, the action-phase model of developmental regulation, describing pre- and post-deadline self-control strategies in individual pursuit of developmental goals (J. Heckhausen, 1999), was applied to the group level by combining it with the social identity approach (e.g., Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Turner et al., 1987). It was hypothesized that for members of groups facing a deadline, higher levels of social identification will lead to more adequate and stronger deadline phase-congruent control strategy selection and usage. In sum, the five studies of the current dissertation demonstrated that self-control strategies for individual goal pursuit prior to and after having passed a deadline for reaching one’s goal can also be applied to the group level, where the social self is the agent of action. Thus, it corroborates the assumptions of the action-phase model (J. Heckhausen, 1999) in extending it to the group level. Also, these strategies were shown to function as means of goals implied by social identity management strategies (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) – and therefore to be different from them. Furthermore, social identification moderated the impact of a group’s deadline phase on group members’ self-control strategy usage. The findings thus also strengthen the notion that group-based self-regulation exists as a phenomenon (cf. Sassenberg & Woltin, 2008) and that self-regulatory systems operate in conceptually the same way at both individual and group levels (Smith, 2002)

Regulatory focus, coping strategies and symptoms of anxiety and depression: a comparison between Syrian refugees in Turkey and Germany

Civil war, flight, escape and expulsion are extremely stressful and assert a negative impact on refugees’ mental health. However scientific research about resilience and coping of refugees is scarce. Especially in the recent refugee crisis, calls have been made to consider factors contributing to coping and resilience in this vulnerable population. Therefore, the current research sought to investigate individual differences that could serve as antecedents of coping and contextual factors that might moderate these effects. Specifically, it took into account individual’s self-regulatory differences in terms of regulatory focus (i.e., a promotion focus on nurturance needs, ideals and gains vs. a prevention focus on security needs, oughts and losses). It furthermore explored contextual influences by considering Syrian refugees in Turkey (Sample 1, N = 273) and Germany (Sample 2, N = 169). Compared to Syrian refugees in Turkey, those in Germany had a stronger promotion focus. They also reported more problem-focused and less maladaptive coping, as well as less symptoms. Both promotion and prevention focus were positively related to problem-focused coping. Problem-focused coping, in turn, predicted more symptoms in Turkey but not in Germany. Furthermore, a stronger promotion focus was associated with less symptoms and maladaptive coping was associated with more symptoms in both samples. These results contribute to the coping literature in demonstrating that under certain conditions problem-focused coping can be maladaptive and extend the scarce previous work on self-regulation and coping. Most importantly, they highlight a promotion focus as a clear resilience factor and the role of maladaptive coping in increasing vulnerability. As such, they might inform the design of effective interventions among Syrian refugees and beyond

Trait and perceived environmental competitiveness in achievement situations

Objective: Trait and perceived environmental competitiveness are typically studied separately, but they undoubtedly have a joint influence on goal pursuit and behavior in achievement situations. The present research was designed to study them together. We tested the relation between trait and perceived environmental competitiveness, and tested these variables as separate and sequential predictors of both performance-based goals and performance attainment. Methods: In Studies 1a (n=387) and 1b (n=322), we assessed participants’ trait and perceived environmental competitiveness, as well as third variable candidates. In Study 2 (n=434), we sought to replicate and extend Study 1 by adding reports of performance-based goal pursuit. In Study 3 (n=403), we sought to replicate and extend Study 2 by adding real-world performance attainment. The studies focused on both the classroom and the workplace. Results: Trait and perceived environmental competitiveness were shown to be positively related, and were shown to positively predict separate variance in performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal pursuit. Perceived environmental competitiveness and performance-based goal pursuit were shown to be sequential mediators of the indirect relation between trait competitiveness and performance attainment. Conclusions: These studies highlight the importance of attending to the interplay of the person and the (perceived) situation in analyses of competitive striving

Fitting motivational content and process:A systematic investigation of fit between value-framing and self-regulation

Objective: Values are often phrased as ideals that people seek to approach, but they can also be conceptualized as counter-ideals that people seek to avoid. We aimed to test whether individuals endorse more strongly values that are framed in line with their predominant self-regulatory motivation, using individual difference scales in promotion/prevention (Higgins, 1997) and in behavioral approach/inhibition (Carver & White, 1994). To address this systematically, we developed approach- and avoidance-framed versions of the Portrait Value Questionnaire-RR (PVQ-RR; Schwartz et al., 2012). Method: Participants completed approach- and avoidance-framed PVQ-RR versions in two studies measuring regulatory focus or motivational orientation (together 414 U.S. adults, 48% female, ages 18-69) and one study manipulating motivational orientation (39 UK high school students, 79% female, ages 16-19). Results: Value framing consistently interacted with both self-regulation variables. However, a fit between self-regulation and value framing resulted in greater value endorsement only for promotion-focused and approach-oriented (not prevention-focused and avoidance-oriented) participants. This may be because values are more naturally understood as ideal states that people seek to approach. Conclusions: Our findings provide first insights into the psychological process of person-value framing fit affecting value endorsement. We discuss implications for cross-cultural value research and research on value-congruent behavior

Highly identified power‐holders feel responsible: The interplay between social identification and social power within groups

Power relations affect dynamics within groups. Power‐holders’ decisions not only determine their personal outcomes, but also the outcomes of others in the group that they control. Yet, power‐holders often tend to overlook this responsibility to take care of collective interests. The present research investigated how social identification – with the group to which both the powerful and the powerless belong – alters perceived responsibility among power‐holders (and the powerless). Combining research on social power and social identity, we argue that power‐holders perceive more responsibility than the powerless when strongly (rather than when weakly) identifying with the group. A study among leaders and an experiment supported this, highlighting that although power‐holders are often primarily concerned about personal outcomes, they do feel responsible for considering others’ interests when these others are included in the (social) self.Social decision makin

The “I” in us, or the eye on us? Regulatory focus, commitment and derogation of an attractive alternative person

When individuals are highly committed to their romantic relationship, they are more likely to engage in pro-relationship maintenance mechanisms. The present research expanded on the notion that commitment redirects self-oriented goals to consider broader relational goals and examined whether commitment interacts with a promotion and prevention focus to activate derogation of attractive alternatives. Three studies used cross-sectional and experimental approaches. Study 1 showed that romantically involved individuals predominantly focused on promotion, but not prevention, reported less initial attraction to an attractive target than single individuals, especially when highly committed to their relationship. Study 2 showed that romantically involved individuals induced in a promotion focus, compared to those in prevention focus, reported less initial attraction, but only when more committed to their relationship. Regardless of regulatory focus manipulation, more committed individuals were also less likely to perceive quality among alternative scenarios and to be attentive to alternative others in general. Finally, Study 3 showed that romantically involved individuals induced in promotion focus and primed with high commitment reported less initial attraction, than those primed with low commitment, or than those induced in prevention focus. Once again, for these latter no differences occurred according to commitment prime. Together, the findings suggest that highly committed promotion focused individuals consider broader relationship goals and activate relationship maintenance behaviors such as derogation of attractive alternatives to promote their relationship