Regulatory focus theory distinguishes between two independent structures of strategic inclination,
promotion versus prevention. However, the theory implies two potentially independent definitions
of these inclinations, the self-guide versus the reference-point definitions. Two scales (the
Regulatory Focus Questionnaire [Higgins, E. T., Friedman, R. S., Harlow, R. E., Idson, L. C.,
Ayduk, O. N., & Taylor, A. (2001). Achievement orientations from subjective histories of success:
Promotion pride versus prevention pride. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31, 3–23] and
the General Regulatory Focus Measure [Lockwood, P., Jordan, C. H., & Kunda, Z. (2002). Motivation
by positive and negative role models: Regulatory focus determines who will best inspire us.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 854–864]) have been widely used to measure dispositional
regulatory focus. We suggest that these two scales align respectively with the two definitions,
and find that the two scales are largely uncorrelated. Both conceptual and methodological implications
are discussed
