In 1962 an experiment investigated whether or not individuals commonly experience regret after making decisions. Results suggested Ss probably experienced more regret as time passed. There was no evidence that they ever succeeded in reducing dissonance. One of three current interpretations is that the more negative the choice alternatives, the more post-decisional regret a decision maker should experience. An experimental design to test alternative interpretations is proposed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BrehmJ. W.Post-decision changes in the desirability of alternatives. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1956, 52, 384–389.
2.
BrehmJ. W.A theory of psychological reactance. New York: Academic Press, 1966.
3.
BrehmJ. W.CohenA. R.Re-evaluation of choice alternatives as a function of their number and qualitative similarity. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1959, 58, 373–378.
4.
BrehmJ. W.CohenA. R. (Eds.) Explorations in cognitive dissonance. New York: Wiley, 1962.
5.
BrockT. C.Effects of prior dishonesty on post-decisional dissonance. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1963, 66, 325–331.
6.
FestingerL.A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, Ill.: Row Peterson, 1957.
FestingerL.WalsterE.Post-decision regret and decision reversal. In FestingetL. (Ed.), Conflict, decision, and dissonance. Stanford: Stanford Univer. Press, 1964. Pp. 100–112.
9.
HaysW. L.Statistics for psychologists. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1963.
10.
JamesW.The principles of psychology. Vol. II. New York: Holt, 1908.
11.
JanisI. L.Motivational factors in the decisional conflicts. In JonesM. R. (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1959. Vol. 8. Lincoln, Nebraska: Univer. of Nebraska Press, 1959. Pp. 190–232.
12.
KnoxR. E.InksterJ. A.Post-decision dissonance at post time. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1968, 8, 319–323.
13.
LewinK.The conceptual representation and the measurement of psychological forces. Durham, N. C.: Duke Univer. Press, 1938.
14.
MartinA. H.An experimental study of the factors and types of voluntary choice. Archives of Psychology, 1922, No. 51, 40–46.
15.
WalsterE.Post-decisional re-evaluation of alternatives: Regret and dissonance reduction. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Stanford Univer., 1962. [Summarized in FestingerL. (Ed.), Conflict, decision, and dissonance. Stanford: Stanford Univer. Press, 1964. Pp. 112–127.].
16.
WalsterE.BerscheidE.The effects of time on cognitive consistency. In AbelsonR. (Eds.), Theories of cognitive consistency: A source book. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1968. Pp. 599–608.
17.
WicklundR. A.Regret as a result of threat to decision freedom. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Duke Univer., 1968.