I am so glad that we parted! Am I? On attitude representation, counterfactual thinking, and experienced regret

• Authors: Adam Grabowski , Philip Broemer
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Two studies examined how different linguistic forms affect the way in which people access memories of former close relationships that are irrevocably over. Remembering former relationships can activate either positive or negative attitudes. Whether people feel sorrow that bygones are in fact bygones depends on attitudinal valence, but also on the linguistic form in which people express their attitudes. More abstract linguistic forms prevent people from retrieving specific and detailed memories, and thus prompt them to generating more counterfactual thoughts and to experience stronger regret. In contrast, more concrete linguistic forms lead people to remember their personal past more vividly and accurately, and this subjective impression can forestall counterfactual thinking. Study 2 further shows that people are more prone to generate counterfactual thoughts when they focus on the final stage of their relationships rather than the beginning even when the valence of recalled attitudes and objective time are controlled.

Keywords

EN

counterfactual thinking; construal level; memory; regret; close relationships

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk
• Journal: Polish Psychological Bulletin
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 137-143

Dates

published

2015-03-01

online

2015-04-18

Contributors

author

Adam Grabowski

• University of Warmia and Mazury, Prawochenskiego 13, 10-725 Olsztyn, Poland

author

Philip Broemer

• University of Tübingen, Germany

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Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/ppb-2015-0018