The Impact of Regulatory Focus on Challenge and Threat

Abstract. Research has shown that feelings of threat elicit a prevention focus and feelings of challenge elicit a promotion focus. The present research tested the reverse causal relationship. We predicted that, when people are faced with a demanding task, they experience more challenge and less threat if they are in a promotion focus as compared to a prevention focus because having a promotion focus results in the perception of having more resources than a prevention focus does. In two studies assessing or manipulating regulatory focus, respectively, we found the expected effect on challenge and threat as well as the mediation of this effect via perceived resources. The relationships between regulatory focus and challenge and threat are discussed.