Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Created: January 05, 2012
Last Modified: January 06, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond
Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC
This Inquisit script implements the regulatory focus strength measure developed by
Higgins, E. T., Shah, J., & Friedman, R. (1997). Emotional responses to goal attainment: Strength of regulatory focus as moderator. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 515-525.
Higgins Lab: https://higginsweb.psych.columbia.edu/research/
From the webpage: "Regulatory focus theory posits two separate and independent self-regulatory orientations, both fundamentally related to value motivation (i.e., achieving desired end-states): Prevention [...], Promotion [...].
Regulatory focus is a state that can differ across individuals (chronic regulatory focus) and situations (momentary regulatory focus). The regulatory focus strength measure and regulatory focus questionnaire measure chronic regulatory focus. Momentary regulatory focus can be primed or induced using the regulatory focus induction."
5 minutes
Description from https://higginsweb.psych.columbia.edu/research/:
"Self-guide Strength Measure: Participants are asked to list, one at a time, four attributes they would ideally like to possess and four attributes they believe they ought to possess, in a seemingly random order—specifically, one ideal, two oughts, one ideal, one ought, two ideals, and one ought. After providing each ideal attribute, participants are asked to respond to the following two items: (1) "For the last attribute, rate the extent to which you would IDEALLY LIKE TO possess the attribute (from 1-4)." (2) "For the last attribute, rate the extent to which you believe you ACTUALLY possess the attribute (from 1-4)." After providing each ought attribute, participants are asked to respond to the following two items: (1) "For the last attribute, rate the extent to which you believe you OUGHT TO possess the attribute (from 1-4)." (2) "For the last attribute, rate the extent to which you believe you ACTUALLY possess the attribute (from 1-4)."
The computer records participants’ (1) responses (both attributes and ratings) and (2) response latencies for attributes and ratings. Thus, three latencies are recorded for each attribute—time for typing attribute, time for ideal/ought rating, and time for actual rating. Only the first three ideals and the first three oughts are used in computed ideal and ought strength.
To calculate ideal and ought strength, log-transform the reaction times. Sum them separately for ideals and oughts. Multiply these two totals by –1, so that higher numbers indicate greater strength/accessibility (i.e., shorter response times). Always control for the opposite focus in any analyses."
This script provides the basic building blocks to run trial sequences for IDEAL trials and OUGHT trials.
The default is to run the following 8 sequences: 1 I, 2 O, 1 I, 1, O, 2 I, 1 O (see note above)
If a different sequences or a different number of trial sequences should be run, go to
section BLOCKS -> block.RegulatoryFocus and follow instructions
Trial Sequences:
trial sequences for IDEAL/OUGHT condition start with
a) openended question for attribute
b) check if that attribute is a repeat (only works if the same spelling of word is used)
c) if new attribute: rating for hope to possess/ought to posses (if repeat attribute, back to a)
d) rating for is states
Instructions are not original to the task. They are provided by Millisecond
as htm/html pages and can be edited by changing the provided htm/html files.
To edit htm/html-files: open the respective documents in simple Text Editors such as TextEdit (Mac)
or Notepad (Windows).
File Name: regulatoryfocusstrength_summary*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| inquisit.version | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| startDate | Date the session was run |
| startTime | Time the session was run |
| subjectId | Participant ID |
| groupId | Group number |
| sessionId | Session number |
| elapsedTime | Session duration in ms |
| completed | 0 = Test was not completed 1 = Test was completed |
| attributeStorage | Contains all attributes (as well as 'I' and 'O' to indicate the condition in which the word was typed in) |
| countTotal/countIdeal/countOught | Counts ideal/ought/all attributes |
| sumSelfDiscrepancyMeasureIdeal13 | Sum of the first three Ideal-is discrepancy measures (Ideal minus actual rating) |
| sumSelfDiscrepancyMeasureOught13 | Sum of the first three Ought-is discrepancy measures (Ought minus actual rating) |
| sumSelfDiscrepancyMeasureIdeal | Sum of ALL Ideal-is discrepancy measures |
| sumSelfDiscrepancyMeasureOught | Sum of ALL Ought-is discrepancy measures meanSelfdiscrepancyIdeal13- |
| meanSelfdiscrepancyOught | Mean self-discrepancy ratings for Ideal and Ought (13 = only item 1 to 3) sumIdeal13LogRT |
| sumOught13LogRT | Sum of the log transformed latencies for ideal/ought trial sequences for first three measures sumIdealLogRT |
| sumOughtLogRT | Sum of the log transformed latencies for ALL ideal/ought trial sequences + converted scores (multiplied by -1) |
| meanLogRTIdeal13/meanLogRTOught13 | Mean log latencies of the first three IdealOught measures |
| meanLogRTIdeal/meanLogRTOught | Mean log latencies of all IdealOught measures |
File Name: regulatoryfocusstrength_raw*.iqdat
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| build | Inquisit version number |
| computer.platform | Device platform: win | mac |ios | android |
| date | Date the session was run |
| time | Time the session was run |
| subject | Participant ID |
| group | Group number |
| session | Session number |
| blockCode | Name of the current block |
| blockNum | Number of the current block |
| trialCode | Name of the current trial |
| trialNum | Number of the current trial |
| countTotal/countIdeal/countOught | Counts ideal/ought/all attributes |
| keyWord | Depending on condition, either 'HOPE' or 'OUGHT' |
| response | The participant's response |
| latency | The response latency in ms (built-in variable) |
| rt | The response latency in ms (custom variable) in the case of openended responses it is the firstcharlatency (= first character is entered) |
| values.logRT | Log (log10) transform of the latency (stored in RT) |
The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.
| Name | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| colorIdeal:/colorOught | Colors in which the words 'HOPE TO BE'/'OUGHT TO BE' are printed in the instructions |