| dc.description.abstract | Which domains in life produce the greatest potential for regret,
and what features of those life domains explain why? Using
archival and laboratory evidence, the authors show that greater
perceived opportunity within life domains evokes more intense
regret. This pattern is consistent with previous publications demonstrating
greater regret stemming from high rather than low
opportunity or choice. A meta-analysis of 11 regret ranking studies
revealed that the top six biggest regrets in life center on (in
descending order) education, career, romance, parenting, the
self, and leisure. Study Set 2 provided new laboratory evidence
that directly linked the regret ranking to perceived opportunity.
Study Set 3 ruled out an alternative interpretation involving
framing effects. Overall, these findings show that people’s biggest
regrets are a reflection of where in life they see their largest opportunities;
that is, where they see tangible prospects for change,
growth, and renewal. | en_US |
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