Abstract
How emotion functions adaptively in two distinct self-regulation systems (promotion focus and prevention focus) is discussed, reviewing related research. Promotion focus represents goals as hopes and aspirations, and prefers eager strategies; prevention focus represents goals as duties and obligations, and prefers vigilant strategies. The former process concerns an emotional dimension of cheerfulness-dejection, and the latter process concerns an emotional dimension of quiescence-agitation. These qualitatively different emotions have distinct effects on attention and motivation, through which they contribute to adaptive goal-attainment. Also, “feeling right” emerges when goals and strategies are at regulatory fit, and encourages one to be engaged in goal-directed actions.
