Not All Regrets Are Created Equal
Type of Presentation
Poster Session
Location
University Library
Start Date
4-9-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-9-2026 3:15 PM
Abstract
Regret research suggests that individuals experience different emotional responses depending on whether a negative outcome follows from an action they took or an action they failed to take. early findings (Kahneman & Tversky, 1982) suggests that failed actions typically evoke more intense regret than inactions, while later work highlights the prominence of inaction regrets, especially over time (Gilvoch & Medvec, 1994; Bieke et al., 2009). These mixed results suggest that individual differences may play a in shaping regret. One promising factor is attachment style, which influences how people make decisions, interpret responsibility and respond to negative emotional outcomes. The current study investigates whether regret intensity for actions vs inactions differs as a function of attachment style. Approximately 60 undergraduate students will participate. After completing an established attachment style measure assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, participants will read brief scenarios in which a negative outcome follows either from switching their initial choice (action) or staying with it (inaction). After each scenario participants will rate the intensity of regret they expect to feel. This scenario-based paradigm allows examination of how decision type and attachment style interact in shaping regret evaluations. WE expect to replicate the main effect of decision type, such that actions elicit stronger immediate regret than inactions. We also predict an interaction between attachment style and decision type. Individuals higher in anxious attachment, who tend to feel heightening responsibility, are expected to report stronger regret following failed actions. In contrast, individuals higher in avoidant attachment, who suppress negative emotions, are expected to show smaller differences in regret across decision type. This study clarifies how attachment style shapes emotional reactions to negative outcomes.
Faculty / Staff Sponsor
Figen Karadogan
Not All Regrets Are Created Equal
University Library
Regret research suggests that individuals experience different emotional responses depending on whether a negative outcome follows from an action they took or an action they failed to take. early findings (Kahneman & Tversky, 1982) suggests that failed actions typically evoke more intense regret than inactions, while later work highlights the prominence of inaction regrets, especially over time (Gilvoch & Medvec, 1994; Bieke et al., 2009). These mixed results suggest that individual differences may play a in shaping regret. One promising factor is attachment style, which influences how people make decisions, interpret responsibility and respond to negative emotional outcomes. The current study investigates whether regret intensity for actions vs inactions differs as a function of attachment style. Approximately 60 undergraduate students will participate. After completing an established attachment style measure assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, participants will read brief scenarios in which a negative outcome follows either from switching their initial choice (action) or staying with it (inaction). After each scenario participants will rate the intensity of regret they expect to feel. This scenario-based paradigm allows examination of how decision type and attachment style interact in shaping regret evaluations. WE expect to replicate the main effect of decision type, such that actions elicit stronger immediate regret than inactions. We also predict an interaction between attachment style and decision type. Individuals higher in anxious attachment, who tend to feel heightening responsibility, are expected to report stronger regret following failed actions. In contrast, individuals higher in avoidant attachment, who suppress negative emotions, are expected to show smaller differences in regret across decision type. This study clarifies how attachment style shapes emotional reactions to negative outcomes.