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Interventionist external agents make specific advice less demotivating

Publication ,  Journal Article
Khenfer, J; Laurin, K; Tafani, E; Roux, E; Kay, AC
Published in: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
January 1, 2017

Across four experiments, we explored how reminders of powerful external agents—interventionist Gods and reliable corporate institutions—influence people's motivation in the realm of financial goals. We found evidence that when people receive specific financial advice, they feel demotivated by the overwhelming flow of concrete instructions for achieving success. We found further that, under these circumstances specifically, reminders of interventionist agents bolster motivation, but that these same agents under different circumstances (i.e., when people receive vague advice) instead undermine motivation. Our findings shed light on the effects of specific (versus vague) goal focus, and on the dynamics of compensatory control in consumer settings.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

DOI

EISSN

1096-0465

ISSN

0022-1031

Publication Date

January 1, 2017

Volume

73

Start / End Page

189 / 196

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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Khenfer, J., Laurin, K., Tafani, E., Roux, E., & Kay, A. C. (2017). Interventionist external agents make specific advice less demotivating. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 73, 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.07.003
Khenfer, J., K. Laurin, E. Tafani, E. Roux, and A. C. Kay. “Interventionist external agents make specific advice less demotivating.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 73 (January 1, 2017): 189–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.07.003.
Khenfer J, Laurin K, Tafani E, Roux E, Kay AC. Interventionist external agents make specific advice less demotivating. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2017 Jan 1;73:189–96.
Khenfer, J., et al. “Interventionist external agents make specific advice less demotivating.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 73, Jan. 2017, pp. 189–96. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2017.07.003.
Khenfer J, Laurin K, Tafani E, Roux E, Kay AC. Interventionist external agents make specific advice less demotivating. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2017 Jan 1;73:189–196.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

DOI

EISSN

1096-0465

ISSN

0022-1031

Publication Date

January 1, 2017

Volume

73

Start / End Page

189 / 196

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology