According to the regulatory fit theory (Higgins, 2000), individuals with a promotion regulatory focus are more motivated when they approach gains while those with a prevention regulatory focus are more motivated when they avoid losses. The present study examined how the match or mismatch between the incentive structure of a task (gain-framed vs. loss-framed) would influence the learning experiences and outcomes of learners with different chronic regulatory foci (Higgins, 1997). One-hundred-eighty-nine ESL learners at a large U.S. university completed a vocabulary pre-test. A week later, they attended an experimental session in a computer lab, where they read a 675-word article about animal testing and wrote an argumentative essay on the topic. They were instructed that if they obtained or sustained 70 out of 100 points they would enter a drawing to win one of three $100 gift cards. The participants were randomly assigned to two conditions. In the gain-framed condition they started the task with zero points and had to gain 70 points to enter the drawing. Conversely, participants in the loss-framed condition started with 100 points but had to avoid losing more than 30 points in order qualify for the drawing. The participants also completed a vocabulary post-test, a regulatory focus questionnaire, and a task evaluation survey. The results of multiple regression analyses asymmetrically supported the predictions of the regulatory fit theory. Prevention focus individuals learned significantly more vocabulary in the loss-framed condition than in the gain-framed condition. However, promotion focus individuals’ learning did not vary across the framing conditions. Overall, promotion focus individuals learned significantly more vocabulary items and had more positive task experiences than prevention focus individuals.
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