Augmentation and undermining from combining activities: The role of choicein activity engagement theory

How does combining activities and freely choosing between them increase or decrease subsequent interest in them? In an extenstion of activity engageme nt theory (Higgins & Trope, 1990), we propose that an identified activity i s associated with an approach or avoidance orientation that serves as a ref erence point for making evaluative inferences about engagement choices. Peo ple make inferences that are informative, i.e., that provide information be yond what is already known. Because people expect to approach a liked activ ity, choosing not to approach is more informative than choosing to approach . When people forsake a liked activity for another activity, therefore, the y infer that the forsaken activity is not so positive. Thus, switching back and forth between two liked activities can decrease subsequent interest in them. Because people expect to avoid a disliked activity, choosing not to avoid is more informative than choosing to avoid. When people choose a disl iked activity instead of another activity, therefore, they infer that the c hosen activity is not so negative. Thus, switching back and forth between t wo disliked activities can increase subsequent interest in them. We describ e previous research and present new research that supports each of these pr edictions. We then consider other ways in which combining activities can un dermine or enhance interest depending on how engagement choices are represe nted. (C) 1999 Academic Press.