Publication Type
Working Paper
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
2007
Abstract
In three studies we examined the effects of action/inaction, social normality (i.e., how typical the decision is in one’s social environment) and decision process carefulness on anticipated regret. Whereas past research has drawn on norm theory (Kahneman & Miller, 1986) to emphasize the role of mutability in (anticipated) regret, the present studies highlight the important role of perceptions of decision justifiability (Connolly & Zeelenberg, 2002). Study 1 replicated earlier findings showing greater anticipated regret when behavior was abnormal, but perceived justifiability mediated the effect. Study 2 showed that anticipated regret was higher for careless than for careful decisions; perceived decision justifiability again mediated the effect. Study 3 found that, when both carefulness and normality information was provided, only the former affected anticipated regret, again mediated by perceived justifiability. Decision justification theory thus appears to provide a better account of anticipated regret intensity in this context than does norm theory.
Keywords
Anticipated Regret, Decision Making, Decision Process Carefulness, Justifiability, Normality, Regret Aversion
Discipline
Business | Organizational Behavior and Theory
Research Areas
Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources
First Page
1
Last Page
39
Citation
REB, Jochen and CONNOLLY, Terry.
The Effects of Action, Normality, and Decision Carefulness on Anticipated Regret: Evidence for a Broad Mediating Role of Decision Justifiability. (2007). 1-39.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/497
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
Published in Cognition and Emotion, 2010, 24 (8), pp. 1405-1420 https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930903512168