Regulatory Focus and Efficacy of Health Messages

Two studies support the premise that a person's regulatory focus determines the salience of self-efficacy (perceived ease) or response efficacy (perceived effectiveness) of health behaviors. The findings indicate greater regulatory-efficacy fit (experiment 1) and higher intentions to perform the advocated behaviors (experiment 2) when self-efficacy features are paired with promotion focus and when response efficacy features are paired with prevention focus. The data support the premise that self-efficacy is weighed more than response efficacy when the regulatory focus is promotion, whereas the reverse is true in prevention regulatory focus.