Regulatory Focus Questionnaire (RFQ, Higgins)
Psychology: PersonalityReliability: Promotion alpha 0.73; Prevention alpha 0.803 sample items
About this scale
An 11-item measure of two motivational systems: promotion focus (eager pursuit of gains) and prevention focus (vigilant avoidance of losses). Foundational measure in Higgins's regulatory-focus theory.
Sample item(s)
“How often have you accomplished things that got you 'psyched' to work even harder? (promotion)”
“Growing up, would you ever 'cross the line' by doing things your parents would not tolerate? (prevention, reverse)”
“Not being careful enough has gotten me into trouble at times (prevention, reverse)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: Promotion alpha 0.73; Prevention alpha 0.80. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Higgins, E. T., Friedman, R. S., Harlow, R. E., Idson, L. C., Ayduk, O. N., & Taylor, A. (2001): Achievement orientations from subjective histories of success: Promotion pride versus prevention pride. European Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 3–23.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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