Anticipated regret

What is anticipated regret?

Anticipated regret is the regret a person expects to feel after a possible decision or outcome. It can concern taking an action or failing to take one, depending on which alternative the person imagines.

How it works

Abraham and Sheeran (2004) found that anticipated regret predicted exercise intentions. Their experiment made regret more salient and increased reported intentions; it did not establish an increase in subsequent exercise behavior.

A meta-analysis by Sandberg and Conner (2008) found associations with both intentions and later behavior. Predictive associations should be distinguished from the causal effect of adding a regret prompt.

Example of an Anticipated-Regret Prompt

“How would you feel if you did not exercise this week?” asks someone to imagine the emotional consequence of inaction.

Why it matters

Thinking about future regret can make a choice feel immediate and personal. That is why regret prompts are attractive to people designing campaigns. But a stronger intention is still short of a completed action, and guilt is not a substitute for access or accurate information. If you use a regret message, examine what it changes and what emotional burden it places on the person receiving it.