THE GREATER GOOD VS. SELF: INVESTIGATING THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SELF VS. COLLECTIVE INTERESTS ON REGULATORY FOCUS AND GATEKEEPER REPORTING

Abstract

The importance of close others of individuals participating in deviant behaviour, gatekeepers, have been identified as valuable sources in reporting crime. The study hypothesised that individuals with promotion focus are more likely to act in collective interest (societal welfare), resulting in higher reporting and individuals with prevention focus are more likely to act in self-interest (personal and close other’s welfare), resulting in lower reporting. Study 1 was a correlational study which found evidence for the hypothesis on the mediating effect of collective interest on promotion focus and reporting intentions. Study 2 expanded to experimentally manipulate regulatory focus to investigate the hypotheses, as well as to expand constructs of self-interest to include measures related directly to self and related to individual relationship with close other (indirect self-interest). While there were no significant differences found between prevention and promotion focus conditions, follow-up mediation analysis using chronic regulatory focus measures found significant positive mediating effect of collective interest on promotion focus and reporting intentions and significant negative mediating effect of direct self-interest on promotion focus and reporting intentions. However, there were no significant results were found for the effect of prevention focus across both studies. The current study illuminates the role of promotion focus in influencing gatekeeper decision to report their close other, and introduces recommendations for future research and crime-prevention interventions.