Pre‐outcome regret: Widespread and overlooked

Abstract

Many real-life decisions (e.g. promises, plans and agreements) involve a time interval between when the decision is made and the main outcome is revealed. Nearly all regret studies focus on anticipated or experienced post-outcome regret. We argue that regret is also frequently experienced in the pre-outcome period, and that this 'pre-outcome regret' has other sources than regret experienced after the outcome is known. Regret experienced in the pre-outcome period has an important function post-outcome regret (usually) cannot have, namely to motivate the decision maker to reconsider the ongoing decision process and reverse the initial decision. Pre-outcome regret should for these reasons be distinguished from post-outcome regret, and studied separately. In two scenario studies, participants were asked to imagine their regret after agreeing to perform an inconvenient task. In both, more regret was reported before than after the event, even when they had imagined a 'worst case' outcome. In the third study, participants described a difficult choice from their own life. Again, regret was perceived as higher in the pre-outcome period than afterwards. In a fourth study, participants reported regret 'online' during an economic game (a version of the ultimatum game). They regretted their decisions more before than after they knew the outcome. We conclude that experienced pre-outcome regret is often stronger than post-outcome regret, and typically increases during the pre-outcome period. We suspect that the absence of JDM studies of pre-outcome regret is a legacy of the dominant gambling metaphor within decision research.

When goals loom darker: Goal ambivalence moderates the effect of goal proximity on goal‐related motivation

“…As a more proximal affective reaction, regret might precede and inform other goal evaluations (Kirkebøen & Teigen, 2011;Schwarz, 1990;van Harreveld, van der Pligt, & de Liver, 2009). Because we failed to find a direct interaction effect on goal commitment, we further explored whether differences in goal ambivalence indirectly affected the relationship between goal proximity and goal commitment through feelings of preoutcome regret.…”

“…This term refers to the experience of regret over a decision during the period when the decision has been made, but potential consequences of the decision have not yet come into place. As pre-outcome regret about a decision to pursue a goal is associated with thoughts about reversing this decision (Festinger, 1964;Kirkebøen & Teigen, 2011), the focal goal is not shielded against alternative goals and fewer resources for goal striving are available . Kirkebøen and Teigen (2011) argued that regret during this period is common and functional, because it may spark the consideration to reverse a suboptimal decision and disengage from a course of action.…”

“…Kirkebøen & Teigen, 2011) and (b) goal commitment. We then probed for an interaction of the two variables in predicting motivation toward the goal, as indicated by measures of (a) pre-outcome regret as a proxy for intention strength (cf.…”

Revisions and Regret: The Cost of Changing your Mind

“…Kirkebøen and Teigen () have recently argued that pre‐outcome regret should be distinguished and studied separately from post‐outcome regret. Regret experienced in the pre‐outcome period has different functions, and also other sources, from regret experienced after the outcome is known.…”

“…But many real‐life decision processes are extended over time, and include a time interval between the initial decision and the final outcome. This intervening period has rarely been singled out for separate study, but we claim that this period is interesting in its own right, as an arena for expectations and concerns, hopes and fears, and even pre‐outcome regrets (Kirkebøen & Teigen, ). It is during this post‐decision, pre‐outcome period that people may be allowed to change their minds and reverse their original decision.…”