Intrinsic versus identified regulation in distinct political campaigns: The consequences of following politics for pleasure versus personal meaningfulness

Intrinsic and identified regulation were examined in the context of two Canadian 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 following 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 identification (but not intrinsic motivation) was significantly positively associated with the personal relevance of the vote, pleasant emotions about the vote outcome, and reported voting. Surprisingly, in the highly emotional Quebec referendum intrinsic motivation was significantly associated with experiencing 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.