Moderating effect of regulatory focus on burnout and exercise behavior.

Applying Higgins' regulatory focus, which assumes that people pursue goals using means that match their self-regulatory motivation, the authors examined whether individual's promotion- or prevention-focused motivations in work would decrease participation in physical activity. Participants were 197 employees (163 men, 34 women, M age = 39 yr.) in five different Taiwanese manufacturing firms. They responded to Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire, and Exercise Behavior at two different times, 8-10 weeks apart. Promotion-oriented regulatory focus significantly moderated the relationship between burnout and exercise, but prevention-oriented focus did not. BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and work hours contributed small but significant amounts of variance. A prevention focus was associated with more time for physical activity, even when participants were tired, supporting regulatory focus theory.