What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity
Several theories have been proposed to account for variation in the intensity of life regrets. Variables hypothesised to affect the intensity of regret include: whether the regretted decision was an action or an inaction, the degree to which the decision was justified, and the life domain of the reg...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-12-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01941/full |
| _version_ | 1818453300394065920 |
|---|---|
| author | Andy J Towers Matt N Williams Stephen Robert Hill Michael C Philipp Ross Flett |
| author_facet | Andy J Towers Matt N Williams Stephen Robert Hill Michael C Philipp Ross Flett |
| author_sort | Andy J Towers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several theories have been proposed to account for variation in the intensity of life regrets. Variables hypothesised to affect the intensity of regret include: whether the regretted decision was an action or an inaction, the degree to which the decision was justified, and the life domain of the regret. No previous study has compared the effects of these key predictors in a single model in order to identify which are most strongly associated with the intensity of life regret. In this study, respondents (N = 500) to a postal survey answered questions concerning the nature of their greatest life regret. A Bayesian regression analysis suggested that regret intensity was greater for—in order of importance—decisions that breached participants’ personal life rules, decisions in social life domains than non-social domains, and decisions that lacked an explicit justification. Although regrets of inaction were more frequent than regrets of action, regrets relating to actions were slightly more intense. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T21:36:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cb7163fc46ed49648c87a33b256586f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T21:36:48Z |
| publishDate | 2016-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cb7163fc46ed49648c87a33b256586f62022-12-21T22:46:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782016-12-01710.3389/fpsyg.2016.01941234816What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensityAndy J Towers0Matt N Williams1Stephen Robert Hill2Michael C Philipp3Ross Flett4Massey UniversityMassey UniversityMassey UniversityMassey UniversityMassey UniversitySeveral theories have been proposed to account for variation in the intensity of life regrets. Variables hypothesised to affect the intensity of regret include: whether the regretted decision was an action or an inaction, the degree to which the decision was justified, and the life domain of the regret. No previous study has compared the effects of these key predictors in a single model in order to identify which are most strongly associated with the intensity of life regret. In this study, respondents (N = 500) to a postal survey answered questions concerning the nature of their greatest life regret. A Bayesian regression analysis suggested that regret intensity was greater for—in order of importance—decisions that breached participants’ personal life rules, decisions in social life domains than non-social domains, and decisions that lacked an explicit justification. Although regrets of inaction were more frequent than regrets of action, regrets relating to actions were slightly more intense.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01941/fullBayesianactionregretjustificationInaction |
| spellingShingle | Andy J Towers Matt N Williams Stephen Robert Hill Michael C Philipp Ross Flett What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity Frontiers in Psychology Bayesian action regret justification Inaction |
| title | What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity |
| title_full | What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity |
| title_fullStr | What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity |
| title_full_unstemmed | What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity |
| title_short | What makes for the most intense regrets? Comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity |
| title_sort | what makes for the most intense regrets comparing the effects of several theoretical predictors of regret intensity |
| topic | Bayesian action regret justification Inaction |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01941/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andyjtowers whatmakesforthemostintenseregretscomparingtheeffectsofseveraltheoreticalpredictorsofregretintensity AT mattnwilliams whatmakesforthemostintenseregretscomparingtheeffectsofseveraltheoreticalpredictorsofregretintensity AT stephenroberthill whatmakesforthemostintenseregretscomparingtheeffectsofseveraltheoreticalpredictorsofregretintensity AT michaelcphilipp whatmakesforthemostintenseregretscomparingtheeffectsofseveraltheoreticalpredictorsofregretintensity AT rossflett whatmakesforthemostintenseregretscomparingtheeffectsofseveraltheoreticalpredictorsofregretintensity |