Content and Intensity of Pride and Regret Among Asian American Immigrant Elders

Abstract

Pride and regret are self-conscious emotions that develop later in life and become a source of emotional struggle. This study examines the content of regret and pride among Asian American elders. Among a convenience sample of 118 Asian American older adults, the researchers examined the contents and intensities of both regret and pride felt over events in life. Across three groups of Asian American immigrants, older adults in this study reported a variety of regrets and pride in the areas of college education, marital relationship, children’s problems, career aspirations, financial difficulty, immigration, and grief or losses that they have experienced in life courses. Findings further explored culture-specific sources of self-conscious emotions, and the intensities of regrets may be strongly influenced by cultural context.