Christopher P. Niemiec’s research while affiliated with University of Rochester and other places

Goal pursuit is rife with obstacles triggering negative emotions. To persist in goal pursuit, individuals need to regulate these emotions using adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Reappraisal and emotional integration are two such strategies. Reappraisal involves people’s attempts to reframe how they are thinking about an emotional situation, whereas emotional integration involves taking an interest in emotions as they arise. In three studies, we examined the distinct effects of these two strategies on goal pursuit at the within-person and the between-person levels. Study 1 (N = 264) was a three-wave, short-term longitudinal study. At the within-person level, emotional integration predicted goal progress and goal effort but also predicted negative affect, while reappraisal predicted goal progress and positive affect. At the between-person level, emotional integration was positively related to optimal goal pursuit outcomes, whereas reappraisal was negatively related. Study 2 (N = 154) and Study 3 (N = 366) used daily methodologies and followed participants across 10 days. At the daily within-person level, reappraisal was a stronger predictor of goal progress, goal effort, and positive affect than emotional integration. Emotional integration predicted daily negative affect. In contrast, at the between-person level, emotional integration better predicted these outcomes than reappraisal. Collectively, these studies provide a nuanced understanding of how adaptive emotion regulation strategies relate to goal pursuit. The results show that within-participants reappraisal is more strongly related to increased goal progress, effort, and positive affect than emotional integration. However, habitual emotional integration aligns with greater overall goal effort and progress than habitual reappraisal.

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries. The autonomy-supportive message decreased feelings of defying social distancing recommendations relative to the controlling message, and the controlling message increased controlled motivation, a less effective form of motivation, relative to no message. Message type did not impact intentions to socially distance, but people’s existing motivations were related to intentions. Findings were generalizable across a geographically diverse sample and may inform public health communication strategies in this and future global health emergencies.

Within self-determination theory, a considerable amount of previous research has shown that autonomous motivation is associated with higher levels of academic achievement and wellness among students. However, it is notable that few studies have included large samples of undergraduates who are enrolled in science courses. Moreover, to our knowledge no previous research has investigated the associations among autonomous and controlled motivations, course attendance, time spent studying, perceived course difficulty, and final course grades simultaneously. The current study was designed to begin to fill this gap in the literature. In the fall (33 course sections) and spring (29 course sections) semesters, undergraduate students (N = 1284) who were enrolled in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and human anatomy and physiology courses responded to a 24-item survey at the beginning (Time 1) and at the end (Time 2) of the semester. The results revealed considerable stability in motivation over time as well as strong association between autonomous and controlled motivations at each time point. Autonomous motivation at Time 2 predicted higher levels of time spent studying and final course grades, and lower levels of perceived course difficulty. Controlled motivation at Time 2 predicted higher levels of course attendance, time spent studying, and perceived course difficulty, and lower levels of final course grades. These findings indicate that both autonomous and controlled motivations contribute to final course grades (albeit in opposite directions) and highlight the importance of creating need-supportive educational climates that facilitate the cultivation of autonomous motivation.

Rooted in self-determination theory and guided by its organismic theorizing on personality integration, the present research examined the association between autonomy and everyday creativity at the levels of individual differences in personality and daily fluctuations in motivation, and whether vitality explains this association. In Studies 1a (N=203) and 1b (N=68), participants completed measures of trait autonomy, trait vitality, and everyday creativity via self-ratings and responses to a behavior checklist, respectively. In Study 2 (N=152), undergraduates completed daily measures of autonomous motivation, state vitality, “little-c” creativity (self-reported and independently rated), and “mini-c” creativity. Results of Studies 1a and 1b revealed indirect effects (between-persons) of autonomy on everyday creativity through vitality. Results of Study 2 revealed indirect effects (within-persons) of autonomous motivation on “little-c” creativity and “mini-c” creativity through state vitality. This complementary set of findings offers a more refined perspective on personality integration and the development of creativity in daily life.

Rooted in self-determination theory and guided by its organismic theorizing on personality integration, the present research examined the association between autonomy and everyday creativity at the levels of individual differences in personality and daily fluctuations in motivation, and whether vitality explains this association. In Studies 1a (N=203) and 1b (N=68), participants completed measures of trait autonomy, trait vitality, and everyday creativity via self-ratings and responses to a behavior checklist, respectively. In Study 2 (N=152), undergraduates completed daily measures of autonomous motivation, state vitality, “little-c” creativity (self-reported and independently rated), and “mini-c” creativity. Results of Studies 1a and 1b revealed indirect effects (between-persons) of autonomy on everyday creativity through vitality. Results of Study 2 revealed indirect effects (within-persons) of autonomous motivation on “little-c” creativity and “mini-c” creativity through state vitality. This complementary set of findings offers a more refined perspective on personality integration and the development of creativity in daily life.

Despite the increasing use of self‐tracking technologies, surprisingly little empirical research has examined the effect of self‐tracking in effortful activities on consumers' task experience. Accordingly, the present research examined the moderating role of gender in the effect of self‐tracking in effortful activities on perceived competence and task experience (namely, enjoyment and subjective vitality). Across three experiments, results suggested that self‐tracking in effortful activities increases the perceived competence, enjoyment, and subjective vitality of females more than males, and that perceived competence explains these interaction effects. Interestingly, an experimental manipulation designed to prompt overestimation of abilities attenuated these positive effects among females. As such, the present research contributes to the literatures on self‐tracking and feedback instrumentality, and offers important practical implications for marketers.

The present study investigated how both mindfulness and managerial autonomy support affect work adjustment. Two hundred and fifty-nine working adults were recruited online, and they were assessed for individual differences in mindfulness and the autonomy-supportive versus controlling style of their management at work. Also assessed were indicators of work-related adjustment, namely, burnout, turnover intention, and absenteeism. Results showed that both autonomy support and mindfulness had direct relations with employee work well-being. Less autonomy-supportive work climates thwarted employee’s basic psychological needs at work, which partially explained the association of lower autonomy support at work and decreased work adjustment. These indirect effects were moderated by mindfulness. Specifically, people higher in mindfulness were less likely to feel need frustration, even in unsupportive managerial environments. Mindfulness thus appears to act as a protective factor in controlling work environments. These results not only highlight mindfulness as a potential pathway to wellness at the workplace, but also speak to the relevance of autonomy support in work environments in promoting employee work well-being.

The degree of autonomous motivation affects professional development and health. While lack of autonomy may increase stress, the presence of autonomy can lead to high perceived competence and low anxiety. Using the new instrument, Self-Regulation Questionnaire for Nursing Students, the purpose of this study was to explore the relation between degree of self-regulation and perceived stress, burn-out symptoms, work engagement and perceived competence. Data were collected in 2011 and a total of 113 university college nursing students participated. Nursing students with autonomous motivation, had high perceived competence, were more engaged, perceived lower levels of stress, burnout and performance-based self-esteem compared to students with controlled motivation. Students with controlled motivation were more stressed than students who were more autonomously motivated. The type of motivation students had impacted on health and well-being and how students engaged in their studies.