Using High-Level Construal and Perceptions of Changeability to Promote Self-Change Over Self-Protection Motives in Response to Negative Feedback

Diagnostic negative information presents people with a motivational dilemma. Although negative feedback can provide useful information with which to guide future self-improvement efforts, it also presents short-term affective costs. We propose that construal level, jointly with the perceived changea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Personality & social psychology bulletin 2015-06, Vol.41 (6), p.822-838
Main Authors: Belding, Jennifer N., Naufel, Karen Z., Fujita, Kentaro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Cognition
Defense Mechanisms
Feedback
Feedback, Psychological
Female
Humans
Hypotheses
Male
Middle Aged
Motivation
Perception
Perceptions
Personal development
Self Concept
Young Adult
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Summary:Diagnostic negative information presents people with a motivational dilemma. Although negative feedback can provide useful information with which to guide future self-improvement efforts, it also presents short-term affective costs. We propose that construal level, jointly with the perceived changeability of the feedback domain, determines whether people choose to accept or dismiss such information. Whereas low-level construal promotes short-term self-protection motivation (promoting dismissal), high-level construal promotes long-term self-change motivation (promoting acceptance)—to the extent that change is perceived as possible. Four studies support this hypothesis and examine underlying cognitive and motivational mechanisms. The present work may provide an integrative theoretical framework for understanding when people will be open to and accept negative diagnostic information, and has important practical implications for promoting self-change efforts.
ISSN:0146-1672
1552-7433
DOI:10.1177/0146167215580776