Tory Higgins explains how different systems of motivation — promotion versus prevention — influence the way people make decisions and the intensity with which they pursue their goals.
How did you become interested in the psychology of decision making?
What I do today came out of an interest in why some people get depressed and other people get anxious when something bad happens in their life. I wanted to understand what underlying motivational systems could help explain that difference. That led me to a distinction between two ways in which people represent their goals and concerns. One is a promotion focus, where you think about what you’re doing as an accomplishment, something you aspire to, something you ideally want to happen. The other is a prevention focus, where you think of your goals and concerns as having more to do with safety and security issues and with duties and obligations.
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