Goal pursuit is more than planning: the moderating role of regulatory fit
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Date
2006-10-30
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Texas A&M University
Abstract
Research indicates that planning helps consumers in their goal pursuit, but little is
known about how and when such beneficial effects change with regulatory fit â fit
between consumersâ regulatory orientation and goal pursuit means. Results of three
studies show that 1) the benefits of forming implementation intentions, or planning
details such as when, where, how, and how long to perform goal-directed actions and
attain consumer goals are stronger in regulatory nonfit situations (study 1), and 2)
implementation intentions can be viewed as goal pursuit means and be part of the
regulatory fit formulation to show the âÂÂvalue from fitâ effect on instrumental behavior
and goal attainment (studies 2 and 3). Specifically, study 1 showed that consumers in
regulatory nonfit situations are more likely to perform instrumental behavior and have
higher goal attainment by forming implementation intentions than consumers in
regulatory fit situations. This research also provides empirical evidence of the notion of
âÂÂvalue from fitâ to the regulatory fit literature, that is, the mediating role of motivation
intensity in the regulatory fit-instrumental behavior and regulatory fit-goal attainment
linkages in studies 2 and 3.
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Keywords
goal-directed behavior, implementation intention, regulatory fit, regulatory focus