Testing the role of action and inaction anticipated regret on intentions and behaviour

Abstract

Anticipated regret (AR) has been suggested as a useful addition to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) that captures affective influences. However, previous research has generally (1) assessed the impact of AR in relation to one behaviour (action or inaction) when considering TPB variables in relation to the alternative behaviour, (2) not controlled for affective attitudes or past behaviour, and (3) examined only one or two behaviours. In two studies across several behaviours, the present research showed that even when controlling for affective attitudes, past behaviour, and other TPB variables towards action, action and inaction AR each added to the prediction of intentions across multiple behaviours. The two studies also showed that inaction regret was generally the stronger predictor, although action regret was important for some types of behaviour. Implications and issues for further research are discussed.

Extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Impact of Past Behavioural Biases on the Investment Decision of Indian Investors

“…The presence of these phenomena in the financial market is the probable reason why the failure of risk management system is based on the neoclassical assumptions of normal distributions (Chittedi, 2014). Within the literature, researches in the financial market are moving towards the behavioural aspects of investment rather than adhering to the fundamental or traditional approaches (Listyarti & Suryani, 2014;Olokoyo, Oyewo, & Babajide, 2014;Sandberg, Hutter, Richetin, & Conner, 2016). With an alternative perspective looking at human behaviour, the paradigm of behavioural finance can thus shift to looking at other theories that are open to the multidisciplinary understanding of human behaviour (Tuyon & Ahmad, 2016).…”

Feel good now or regret it later? The respective roles of affective attitudes and anticipated affective reactions for explaining health‐promoting and health risk behavioral intentions

“…In recent years, a growing literature has examined whether affective constructs, such as affective attitudes and anticipated affective reactions, ought to be explicitly incorporated into these traditionally cognitive-based models (Conner, McEachan, Taylor, O’Hara, & Lawton, 2015; Linde, Rhodes, Riley, & Spruijt-Metz, 2016; Rhodes & Nigg, 2011; Rivis, Sheeran, & Armitage, 2009; Sandberg & Conner, 2008; Sniehotta, Presseau, & Araújo-Soares, 2014; Williams, Rhodes, & Conner, 2017). While numerous studies have demonstrated the predictive utility of affective attitudes and negatively valanced anticipated affective reactions (i.e., anticipated regret; Brewer, DeFrank, & Gilkey, 2016; Ellis et al, 2018; Koch, 2014; Rivis et al, 2009; Sandberg & Conner, 2008; Sandberg, Hutter, Richetin, & Conner, 2016), the potential contribution of positively valanced anticipated affective reactions (e.g., pride) has received far less attention (Conner, Godin, Sheeran, & Germain, 2013). …”

“…Prior studies have typically only measured one kind of anticipated reaction for a target behavior in the same study with the majority of this work focused on anticipated (inaction) regret for not engaging in health-promoting behaviors (Conner et al, 2015; Rivis et al, 2009; Sandberg & Conner, 2008). However, emerging data suggest that both action and inaction regret contribute unique variance in the prediction of a range of health behaviors (Brewer et al, 2016; Sandberg et al, 2016). It is as yet unclear how anticipated pride for health behavior performance or risk behavior abstinence may contribute to the broader understanding of health behavior motivation as insufficient research has been conducted on this construct to date.…”

“…Examining health behaviors in isolation is problematic because one’s overall health is an aggregate of the many health-promoting and health risk behaviors an individual performs, and therefore engagement in one type may limit potential benefits from another (Conner, McEachan, Lawton, & Gardner, 2016; Sandberg et al, 2016). Additionally, emerging research suggests that the components of the TPB may be differentially important in the prediction of health-promoting versus health risk behaviors (Conner et al, 2017, 2015; McEachan, Conner, Taylor, & Lawton, 2011; McEachan et al, 2016).…”

“…regret ;Brewer, DeFrank, & Gilkey, 2016;Ellis et al, 2018;Koch, 2014;Rivis et al, 2009;Sandberg & Conner, 2008;Sandberg, Hutter, Richetin, & Conner, 2016), the potential contribution of positively valanced anticipated affective reactions (e.g., pride) has received far less attention (Conner, Godin, Sheeran, & Germain, 2013).…”