A regulatory focus perspective on reputational concerns: The impact of prevention-focused self-regulation

The hyper-sociality found in the human species is unequivocally manifested in their special sensitivity about reputation. In the present contribution, individuals' reputational concerns are examined from the perspective of one prominent motivational approach: regulatory focus theory. Specifically, individual differences in prevention and promotion focus are related to reputational concerns. Building on the assumption that prevention-focused individuals are sensitive to and concerned with oughts and social expectations, it is expected that prevention-focused individuals are particularly concerned regarding their reputation. In line with this assumption, Study 1 documents a positive relation between individual differences in prevention focus and reputational concerns (beyond the Big Five and perceived stress). In Study 2, individuals are exposed to a subtle reputation cue (i.e., stylized watching eyes). It is documented that prevention-focused individuals specifically react to this cue in that they donate more money when such a cue is present. This finding is replicated in an additional sample and shown to be independent of the Big Five. In sum, the present work contributes to a better understanding of basic motivational orientations regarding reputational concerns.