Ease of Retrieval of Regrettable Actions/Inactions and the Evaluation of the Past

Abstract

We examined whether the ease with which regrettable actions and inactions can be retrieved from memory influences the general evaluation of one’s past experience. Undergraduates were asked to recall regrettable actions or inactions and to list either 2 or 6 of these actions/inactions. They then rated level of satisfaction and the frequency of regrettable events during the period in which they attended high school. The expected interaction emerged only for the regrettable events frequency rating. In the inaction regret condition, those who were instructed to recall two inactions (easy retrieval task) provided higher regrettable event frequency ratings than those who were told to recall six inactions (di$cult retrieval task). In the action regret condition, there was no significant di#erence between the easy and di$cult task conditions. There was no significant interaction for the satisfaction scale. We discuss the findings of this study from the perspective of the relationship between regret and satisfaction.