Room for advancement: The regulatory fit of bottom-rank intermediate feedback

This research tests the hypothesis that promotion-focused individuals experience regulatory fit from bottom rank, intermediate performance-feedback. Prior research suggests promotion-focused individuals experience fit in high social ranks (power). Bottom performance ranks may appear psychologically opposite to high power, which might lead one to expect that promotion-focused individuals experience fit at top ranks. We propose that the opposite occurs in intermediate performance ranking feedback, in that promotion-focused individuals experience regulatory fit at a bottom rank, because bottom rank implies having something to gain (yielding eagerness), whereas top rank implies having something to lose (yielding vigilance). Study 1 (n = 261) supports the notion that ranks affect eagerness/vigilance. Study 2 (n = 199) extends these findings by examining engagement from regulatory fit.