Regulatory 'Fit'and Behavior Interpretation

Columbia Univ New York Morningside, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by candidate): People often use the behaviors they observe to make decisions about those around them. At times, individuals may mistakenly be highly confident in these decisions based upon limited evidence, or they may mistakenly lack confidence despite a wealth of evidence. To understand when such mistakes occur and how they may negatively affect people's social interactions, the general objective of this research program is to investigate what affects perceivers' confidence in their decisions about behavior and what consequences this confidence has. The studies proposed herein examine this question in terms of one variable in particular - people's motivational experiences of this decision process. Whereas previous research has concerned how the strength or type of people's motivation affects the strategies they use to achieve confidence in their decisions, the specific aims of this application are to investigate how confidence may also be independently influenced by people's feelings while using motivated strategies. It is hypothesized that when people pursue their goals using strategies that suit their present motivational orientation, they experience a regulatory fit, which increases the subjective value of the goal pursuit (i.e., it will feel right). By asking people to interpret (i.e., categorize and explain) behavior while manipulating regulatory fit, studies will test whether people experiencing this fit will: (a) feel good while making interpretations (what feels right, can also feel good); (b) believe their interpretive strategies are right (what feels right can be seen as right); and (c) feel their interpretations have greater worth (what feels right can be thought to lead to outcomes that are good). Studies will also test whether the confidence people gain from experiences of regulatory fit while interpreting behavior will lead them to make additional inferences from, and recall these behaviors in ways that are consistent with, their interpretations.