The Role of Anticipated Regret in Advice Taking

Abstract

Across five studies, we demonstrate that anticipated future regret influences receptiveness to advice. While making a revision to one's own judgment based on advice, people can anticipate two kinds of future regret: (a) the regret of following non-beneficial advice and (b) the regret of ignoring beneficial advice. In studies 1a (scenario task) and 1b (judgment task), we find that anticipated regret from erring after following advice is greater than anticipated regret from erring after ignoring advice. Furthermore, receptiveness decreases as the difference between anticipated regret from following and from ignoring advice increases. In study 2, we demonstrate that perceived justifiability of one's own initial decision is greater than that of advice. This difference in perceived justifiability influences anticipated regret and that, in turn, influences receptiveness. In study 3, we investigate the effect of advisor's expertise on perceived justifiability, anticipated regret, and receptiveness. In study 4, we propose and test an intervention to improve receptiveness based on self-generation of advice justifications. Participants who were asked to self-generate justifications for the advice were more receptive to it. This effect was mediated by perceived justifiability and anticipated regret. These findings shed further light on what prevents people from being receptive to advice and how this can be improved.

Manifestations of wisdom in ancient China: An analysis of theZhinang Quanji

“…So, how can the advisors ensure that their advice is appropriate, or how can they maximize the beneficial effects of their advice? To this question, answers from the Zhinang Quanji are very much in line with the current results in the advice seeking and advice-taking field, with both agreeing that advisors should take the following aspects into account: emotion of decision-maker (Hooge et al, 2013; Tzini & Jain, 2018), event characteristics (Johnson & Johnson, 2017), and expression (e.g., gain- and loss-framed advice, Jang & Feng, 2017; intuitive advice and analytically justified advice, Tzioti et al, 2014). From this point of view, this type of wise instance provides much information, vivid cases and examples, and various research perspectives for the studies of wise voice behavior and wise advice-taking behavior in contemporary wisdom psychology.…”

The Moderating Role of Anticipated Regret and Product Involvement on Online Impulsive Buying Behavior

“…Sandberg et al (2016) explained anticipated regret stems from action regret for the commission of a behavior or inaction regret for the omission of a behavior. Participants who took advices felt more anticipated regret than participants who ignored them (Tzini and Jain, 2018).…”

Affecting Argumentative Action: The Temporality of Decisive Emotion

“…Although regret is a past-oriented emotion, Frederiksen contrasted taking action now (present) with a prospective remembering of regret. Although regret may stem from both following non-beneficial advice and ignoring beneficial advice (Tzini and Jain 2018 ), Frederiksen’s appeal to act in order to prevent a future feeling of regret draws its argumentative force from the certainty of physical distancing vis-à-vis the uncertainty of inaction, thus leading to an anticipated regret of how it generally feels to ignore the certainty of beneficial advice. In sum, in this instance adherence depended on an inference stating that sacrificing present freedom was worthwhile to avoid a greater future loss, such as life itself.…”