Drawing on regulatory focus theory, this study examines the mechanisms and boundary conditions linking STARA awareness to employees’affiliative and challenging organizational citizenship behaviors. Using data from a two-wave survey of 442 employees and a scenario-based experiment of 439 employees, the results show that STARA awareness activates both employees’ prevention and promotion foci. Prevention focus mediates the positive relationship between STARA awareness and affiliative organizational citizenship behavior, whereas promotion focus mediates the positive relationship between STARA awareness and challenging organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, need for cognition positively moderates the effects of STARA awareness on both prevention and promotion foci, thereby further moderating the two indirect effects.