Fuglestad Paul T, Rothman Alexander J, Jeffery Robert W
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Health Psychol. 2008 May;27(3S):S260-70. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.27.3(suppl.).s260.
Our primary objective was to determine whether individual differences in regulatory focus (Higgins, 1998) would differentially predict the initiation and maintenance of behavioral change. We hypothesized that people high in promotion focus because they eagerly pursue new positive end-states, would be better able to initiate behavioral change, whereas people higher in prevention focus because they tend to be vigilant in avoiding losses as a means to preserve desired end-states, would be better able to maintain change.
We examined our hypotheses in longitudinal studies of smoking cessation and weight loss.
Our outcome measures were smoking status and weight.
In both interventions, promotion focus, but not prevention focus, predicted successful initiation; people higher in promotion focus had higher quit rates and lost more weight through the first 6 months of follow-up. Of participants who had initial success, prevention focus, but not promotion focus, predicted successful maintenance; people higher in prevention focus were more likely to remain smoke-free and maintain weight loss over the next year.
A fit between behavioral task and regulatory focus can facilitate the successful performance of meaningful behaviors over time.
我们的主要目的是确定调节焦点（希金斯，1998）的个体差异是否会对行为改变的启动和维持产生不同的预测作用。我们假设，由于热切追求新的积极目标状态而具有促进型焦点的人，将更有能力启动行为改变；而由于倾向于警惕避免损失以维持期望目标状态而具有预防型焦点的人，将更有能力维持改变。
我们在戒烟和减肥的纵向研究中检验了我们的假设。
我们的结局指标是吸烟状况和体重。
在这两种干预措施中，促进型焦点而非预防型焦点预测了成功的启动；在促进型焦点较高的人群中，戒烟率更高，并且在随访的前6个月中体重减轻更多。在最初取得成功的参与者中，预防型焦点而非促进型焦点预测了成功的维持；在预防型焦点较高的人群中，在接下来的一年中更有可能保持无烟状态并维持体重减轻。
行为任务与调节焦点之间的匹配可以随着时间的推移促进有意义行为的成功表现。
