Regulatory Mode Scale

What it measures

Measures two self-regulatory orientations that operate independently of the promotion/prevention focus (Regulatory Focus Theory). Locomotion captures the tendency to initiate and maintain movement from state to state — to keep moving, to get things done, to prefer action over deliberation. Assessment captures the tendency to critically evaluate goals, means, and outcomes — to compare options, question choices, and seek the best alternative before committing. High Locomotion individuals prefer swift, efficient action and are vulnerable to sunk-cost effects; high Assessment individuals engage in extensive comparison and are vulnerable to choice paralysis. Together, Locomotion and Assessment predict consumer information search breadth, post-purchase regret, decision speed, and responses to scarcity and urgency cues. Complements the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire (RFQ, already in PsychScales) which distinguishes promotion vs prevention motivation.

Response format

Likert (1–6, not at all true of me to very true of me)

Scale items

Locomotion — tendency to initiate and maintain movement toward goals (Likert 1–6, not at all true to very true of me)

• I don't mind doing things even if they involve extra effort.
• I feel excited just before I am about to reach a goal.
• I am a 'workaholic'.
• I am a doer.
• When I finish one project, I often wait a while before getting started on a new one. (R)
• I enjoy actively doing things, more than just watching and observing.
• I am 'action-oriented'.
• I like to be 'on the go'.
• Quite often I have noticed that I have been moving toward a goal.
• When I decide to do something, I can't wait to get started.
• I am constantly moving forward to accomplish things.

Assessment — tendency to critically evaluate goals and means before committing (Likert 1–6)

• I am a critical person.
• I constantly scrutinise myself.
• I never evaluate my social interactions with others after they occur. (R)
• I often critique work done by myself and others.
• I am very self-critical.
• I often compare myself with other people.
• It is important to me to evaluate my decisions.
• I am always thinking about how I might be doing better.
• I like to weigh all the factors before making a decision.
• I often wonder how other people are doing compared to me.
• I evaluate situations carefully before making a decision.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

(R) = reverse-scored. Two subscale scores. Locomotion and Assessment are largely independent. High Locomotion + Low Assessment predicts impulsive, fast decision-making and susceptibility to urgency cues. Low Locomotion + High Assessment predicts deliberative, comparison-heavy search and post-decision regret. Particularly relevant for research on choice overload, online product comparison, and the effectiveness of limited-time offer messaging.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Kruglanski, A.W., Thompson, E.P., Higgins, E.T., Atash, M.N., Pierro, A., Shah, J.Y., & Spiegel, S. (2000). To 'do the right thing' or to 'just do it': Locomotion and assessment as distinct self-regulatory imperatives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 793–815.

Keywords