The relationship between regulatory focus and creativity among undergraduate students at UPSI

Ng, Hui Gek

QR Code Link :
Type :	Article
Subject :	BF Psychology
ISSN :	2289-9391
Main Author :	Ng, Hui Gek
Additional Authors :	Folashade, Aroyewun Temitope
Title :	The relationship between regulatory focus and creativity among undergraduate students at UPSI
Hits :	3

Place of Production :	Tanjong Malim
Publisher :	UPSI Press
Year of Publication :	2025
Notes :	Vol. 11 (2025): EDUCATUM Journal of Social Sciences [SPECIAL ISSUE]
Corporate Name :	Perpustakaan Tuanku Bainun
PDF Full Text :	You have no permission to view this item.

Abstract : Perpustakaan Tuanku Bainun

This study focused on examining the correlation between regulatory focus and creativity among undergraduate students at UPSI, Malaysia. Using a convenience sampling, the study utilized an online-based survey administered through Google Forms. A total of 153 undergraduate students, aged between 18 to 29 years participated. Participants were required to complete a set of questionnaires that encompassed demographic information, an assessment of regulatory focus using Regulatory Focus Questionnaire (RFQ), and an evaluation of creativity using Person-Environment Fit Scale for Creativity (PEFSC). Results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the promotion focus and creativity, r (153) = .803, p < .001 whereas a significant negative correlation between the prevention focus and creativity, r (153) = -.711, p < .001. Additionally, the study identified a significant joint relationship between promotion and prevention focus on creativity, R_ = .685, F(2, 150) = 163.271, p < .001. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of recognizing and accommodating students' regulatory orientations to enhance their overall academic success. However, further research is needed to explore other variables that may mediate the correlation between regulatory focus and creativity. Keywords: Regulatory Focus, Promotion Focus, Prevention Focus, Creativity

References

Acar, S., Tadik, H., Myers, D., Van der Sman, C., & Uysal, R. (2021). Creativity and Well‐being: A Meta‐analysis. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 55(3), 738-751. DOI: 10.1002/jocb.485

Akpur, U. (2020). Critical, reflective, creative thinking and their reflections on academic achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100683. DOI: 10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100683

Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Amabile, T. M., Conti, R., Coon, H., Lazenby, J., & Herron, M. (1996). Assessing the work environment for creativity. Academy of management journal, 39(5), 1154-1184. DOI: 10.5465/256995

Baas, M., De Dreu, C. K., & Nijstad, B. A. (2011). When prevention promotes creativity: the role of mood, regulatory focus, and regulatory closure. Journal of personality and social psychology, 100(5), 794. DOI: 10.1037/a0022981

Fusco, L., Parola, A., & Sica, L. S. (2021). Life design for youth as a creativity-based intervention for transforming a challenging World. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 662072. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662072

Geng, Z., Li, C., Bi, K., Zheng, H., & Yang, X. (2018). Motivating service employee creativity: regulatory focus and emotional labour. Journal of Service Theory and Practice. DOI: 10.1108/JSTP-11-2016-0214

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, 31(1), 3-23. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.27

Higgins, E. T., Nakkawita, E., & Cornwell, J. F. (2020). Beyond outcomes: How regulatory focus motivates consumer goal pursuit processes. Consumer Psychology Review, 3(1), 76-90. DOI: 10.1002/arcp.1052

Kark, R., Van Dijk, D., & Vashdi, D. R. (2018). Motivated or demotivated to be creative: The role of self‐regulatory focus in transformational and transactional leadership processes. Applied Psychology, 67(1), 186-224. DOI: 10.1111/apps.12122

Lam, T. W. H., & Chiu, C. Y. (2002). The motivational function of regulatory focus in creativity. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 36(2), 138-150. DOI: 10.1002/j.2162-6057.2002.tb01061.x

Lee, E. S., Park, T. Y., & Paik, Y. (2019). Does shared group identification lead to group creativity? Group regulatory focus as a moderator. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 49(2), 117-129. DOI: 10.1111/jasp.12569

Li, C. R., Li, C. X., & Lin, C. J. (2018). How and when team regulatory focus influences team innovation and member creativity. Personnel Review. DOI: 10.1108/PR-09-2016-0236

Luo, N., Xin, X., Li, H., & Yu, X. (2021). regulatory focus, Boundaryless Mindset, and Creativity Among Chinese College Students: A Trait Activation Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 1628. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.670394

Mehta, R., & Dahl, D. W. (2019). Creativity: Past, present, and future. Consumer Psychology Review, 2(1), 30- 49. DOI: 10.1002/arcp.1044

Peng, J., Cao, F., Zhang, Y., Cao, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhu, X., & Miao, D. (2021). Reflections on motivation: How regulatory focus influences self-framing and risky decision making. Current Psychology, 40(6), 2927- 2937. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-019-00217-w

Sen, S., Acar, S., & Cetinkaya, C. (2014). Development of the Person–Environment Fit Scale (PEFSC): A new measure of creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(4), 433. DOI: 10.1037/a0037724

Shang, Y., Chong, M. P., Xu, J., & Zhu, X. (2019). Authentic leadership and creativity in China: The role of students’ regulatory-focused behaviors and supervisors’ power sources. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 34, 100592. DOI: 10.1016/j.tsc.2019.100592

Sulistiawana, J., Ekowati, D., & Putri, P. S. (2020). regulatory focus and employee creativity: The role of individual participation and intellectual stimulation. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(12). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3R2IoRD

Walia, C. (2019). A dynamic definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 31(3), 237-247. DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2019.1641787

Wang, L., Cui, Y., Wang, X., Wang, J., Du, K., & Luo, Z. (2021). regulatory focus, motivation, and their relationship with creativity among adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 1422. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.66607

Zhang, W., Ren, P., & Deng, L. (2020). Gender differences in the creativity–academic achievement relationship: A study from China. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 54(3), 725-732. DOI: 10.1002/jocb.387

Zou, L., Wei, S., Ke, W., & Wei, K. K. (2020). Creativity of participants in crowdsourcing communities: the effects of promotion focus and extrinsic motivation. Journal of Database Management (JDM), 31(3), 40-66. DOI: 10.4018/JDM.2020070103

This material may be protected under Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials.
You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research.

Back to search page