How Global Versus Local Perception Fits Regulatory Focus
Abstract
We propose a reciprocal relation between regulatory-focus systems and global versus local processing styles—specifically, that global processing fits a promotion focus on advancement, whereas local processing fits a prevention focus on security. In Study 1, participants were shown large letters made of small letters and decided if either of two specific letters appeared on the screen. Strength of promotion focus was positively correlated with speed of processing global letters and negatively correlated with speed of processing local letters, whereas the reverse was true for strength of prevention focus. In Study 2, participants first worked on a global or local task and later chose between two objects. Consistent with our fit proposal, participants who had performed the global task assigned a higher price to their chosen object if they had chosen it in apromotive, eager manner than if they had chosen it in a preventive, vigilant manner, whereas the reverse was true for participants who had performed the local task.
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There is a positive link between concrete construal (local processing style) and prevention regulatory focus (associated with avoidance motivation).
“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 Förster & Higgins, 2005
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- Authors
- Förster, J., & Higgins, E. T.
- Affiliations
- Constructor University (DE)
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Förster, Jens
- ORCID
- Higgins, E. Tory
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2005-08
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 631-636
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- OpenAlex
- W2137160416
- Cited by
- 501
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 40 · 2012: 36
- FWCI
- 19.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- regulatory focus, promotion focus, prevention focus, visual search, processing speed, choice behavior
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Association Learning, Attention, Cognition, Discrimination Learning, Field Dependence-Independence, Goals, Humans, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Perception, Psychoanalytic Theory, Reaction Time, Students, Task Performance and Analysis
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