The benefits of behaving badly on occasion: Successful regulation by planned hedonic deviations

Rita Coelho do Vale*, Rik Pieters, Marcel Zeelenberg

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This research tests the idea that goal-pursuit that requires extended inhibition of desires, such as weight loss and financial saving, can benefit from including planned hedonic deviations in the goal-striving plan. Two controlled experiments (simulated and real dieting) demonstrate that including planned goal deviations during extended goal striving, compared with following a straight and rigid goal striving process, (1) helps regain self-regulatory resources, (2) helps maintain consumers' motivation to pursue with regulatory tasks, and (3) has a positive impact on affect experienced, which all contribute to facilitate long-term goal-adherence. A third study, conducted with current goal-strivers provides further evidence of the benefits of planned hedonic deviations for goal pursuit across a variety of goals. This reveals that it may be beneficial for long-term goal-success to occasionally be bad, as long it is planned.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)17-28
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Consumer Psychology
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2016

Keywords

  • Goal-pursuit
  • Goal-striving
  • Hedonic goal-deviation behaviors

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