The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Beyond pleasure and pain
Abstract
People approach pleasure and avoid pain. To discover the true nature of approach-avoidance motivation, psychologists need to move beyond this hedonic principle to the principles that underlie the different ways that it operates. One such principle is regulatory focus, which distinguishes self-regulation with a promotion focus (accomplishments and aspirations) from self-regulation with a prevention focus (safety and responsibilities). This principle is used to reconsider the fundamental nature of approach-avoidance, expectancy-value relations, and emotional and evaluative sensitivities. Both types of regulatory focus are applied to phenomena that have been treated in terms of either promotion (e.g., well-being) or prevention (e.g., cognitive dissonance). Then, regulatory focus is distinguished from regulatory anticipation and regulatory reference, 2 other principles underlying the different ways that people approach pleasure and avoid pain.
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In the citing paper
“Behavior is driven by two fundamental action tendencies: avoidance and approach”
From The mnemonic mover: Nostalgia regulates avoidance and approach motivation (2014) · cites this paper as Higgins, 1997
In the citing paper
“Indeed, there is a positive link between abstract construal (i.e., global processing style) and promotion regulatory focus (associated with approach motivation; Higgins, 1997), and a positive link between concrete construal (i.e., local processing style) and prevention regulatory focus (associated with avoidance motivation; Förster & Higgins, 2005).”
From The mnemonic mover: Nostalgia regulates avoidance and approach motivation (2014) · cites this paper as Higgins, 1997
In the citing paper
“Further research shows that each dimension involves distinct motivational systems geared toward avoiding negative affective experiences and approaching pleasant and affectively positive experiences (e.g., [69]).”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [69]
In the citing paper
“Over the life course and with advancing age, the intentional focus of assimilative activities tends to shift from a ''promotion'' focus (Higgins, 1997) toward a focus on prevention and compensation.”
From The Life-Course Dynamics of Goal Pursuit and Goal Adjustment: A Two-Process Framework (2002) · cites this paper as Higgins, 1997
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Metadata
- Authors
- Higgins, E. T.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Higgins, E. Tory
- ORCID
- Higgins, E. Tory
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 1997-12
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1280-1300
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W4234715662
- Cited by
- 6,775
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 307 · 2025: 381 · 2024: 367 · 2023: 415 · 2022: 355 · 2021: 356 · 2020: 356 · 2019: 338 · 2018: 376 · 2017: 350 · 2016: 330 · 2015: 354 · 2014: 354 · 2013: 292 · 2012: 287
- FWCI
- 43.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH39429)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Keywords
- pleasure, pain, affect, emotions
- MeSH terms
- Emotions, Humans, Models, Psychological, Motivation, Philosophy, Pleasure-Pain Principle
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