What is it about?
The study examines the effects of having regrets about obtaining and HIV infection on well-being as well as on the intentions to use a condom in the future. In our sample, unprotected sex was the main reason for the infection. Since regrets and if-only (or counterfacutal) thoughts are oftentimes triggered by events that are controllable by the individuals and which lead to a negative outcome, we assumed that in our sample regrets may occur. However, regrets also tend to lead to behavior change. In our sample, we did find evidence for reduced psychological well-being for individuals who report high levels of regret about their infection. However, those individuals also reported that they would change their behavior in the future.
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Why is it important?
The study examines a very fundamental idea from psychological research in an applied setting. It shows that real-life regrets tend to be very strong factor reducing individual well-being. Despite those negative effects, intentions to engage in safe sex behavior in the future were increased. This shows that the idea that regrets have a function for future behavior is valid. However, the negative effects on well-being need to be taken into account when designing interventions focusing on regret and behavioral change.
Perspectives
The study shows that ideas oftentimes studies in very artifical contexts are valid in the real-world. Moreover, it provides the resarchers with the task to develo intervenvtions that increase well-being of the affected individuals while maintaining the potential positive effects on safe sex behavior.
Kai Epstude
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Regret and Counterfactual Thinking in the Face of Inevitability, Social Psychological and Personality Science, August 2014, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1948550614546048.
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