Health Prevention and Promotion: A Regulatory Focus Theory Perspective (Workshop)

Regulatory focus theory posits that individuals approach situations with a prevention focus and a promotion focus. Additionally, individuals have a chronic approach strategy relative to taking a prevention focus or a promotion focus. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the usefulness of regulatory focus theory in understanding health prevention and health promotion activities within organizations. First, the literature on regulatory focus theory will be briefly reviewed and the results of a study examining the mismatch between state regulatory focus and chronic regulatory focus will be reported. Subsequently, participants will be engaged in a dialogue to integrate regulatory focus theory with other theoretical basis for building safe and healthy work environments.