The Regret Elements Scale: Distinguishing the emotional and cognitive components of regret

• Main Authors: Buchanan, J., Summerville, A., Lehmann, J., REB, Jochen
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2016
• Subjects: emotion; regret; measurement; decision-making; Cognitive Psychology; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/4937; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/5936/viewcontent/jdm15901_RES.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Regret is one of the most common emotions, but researchers generally measure it in an ad-hoc, unvalidated fashion. Three\302\240studies outline the construction and validation of the Regret Elements Scale (RES), which distinguishes between an affective\302\240component of regret, associated with maladaptive affective outcomes, and a cognitive component of regret, associated with\302\240functional preparatory outcomes. The present research demonstrates the RES's relationship with distress (Study 1), appraisals\302\240of emotions (Study 2), and existing measures of regret (Study 3). We further demonstrate the RES's ability to differentiate\302\240regret from other negative emotions (Study 2) and related traits (Study 3). The scale provides both a new theoretical perspective\302\240on regret, and a tool for researchers interested in measuring post-decisional regret.