Intrinsic versus identified regulation in distinct political campaigns: The consequences of following politics for pleasure versus personal meaningfulness
Gf. Losier et R. Koestner, Intrinsic versus identified regulation in distinct political campaigns: The consequences of following politics for pleasure versus personal meaningfulness, PERS SOC PS, 25(3), 1999, pp. 287-298
Intrinsic and identified regulation were examined in the context of two Can
adian political campaigns. It was anticipated that identification (but not
intrinsic motivation) would lead to positive outcomes when one is involved
in an activity that is not necessarily fun but self-relevant, such as follo
wing a personally valued political event. Questionnaires were completed by
216 college students I week before and 1 week after the 1995 New Brunswick
election and Quebec referendum. As predicted, results revealed that identif
ication (but not intrinsic motivation) was significantly positively associa
ted with the personal relevance of the vote, pleasant emotions about the vo
te outcome, and reported voting. Surprisingly, in the highly emotional Queb
ec referendum intrinsic motivation was significantly associated with experi
encing less pleasant emotions about a favorable vote outcome. The personal
relevance of the campaign also mediated the process by which identification
predicted to positive outcomes.