Beyond the road not taken: Experienced regret-induced risk seeking in maximizers

IF 2.9 3区心理学 Q2 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

Behavioural Brain Research Pub Date : 2026-03-05 Epub Date: 2025-12-12 DOI:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115992

Shuai Jin , Xue Wei , Peihua Xian , Junshu Ma , Shenghao Shi , Zhiyuan Liu

{"title":"Beyond the road not taken: Experienced regret-induced risk seeking in maximizers","authors":"Shuai Jin , Xue Wei , Peihua Xian , Junshu Ma , Shenghao Shi , Zhiyuan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115992","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given the complexity of the environment and the constraints on cognitive resources, missed opportunities frequently arise in risky decision-making. However, the relationship between regret feelings for missed opportunities and subsequent risky decision-making among maximizers, as well as the influence of time pressure on this dynamic, remains unclear. Based on 580 participants, we conducted a cross-sectional survey and two EEG experiments to investigate these issues. The results revealed a positive correlation between maximization and risk-taking tendency (Study 1). Compared to satisficers, maximizers showed stronger regret feelings and increased the late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes in response to missed opportunities, and were more inclined to engage in risky decisions. Moreover, maximizers’ regret feelings about missed opportunities facilitated their risky decision-making by amplifying LPP amplitudes (Study 2). Compared to the low-time-pressure condition, maximizers exhibited diminished regret feelings and reduced LPP amplitudes in response to missed opportunities, and less risky decision-making behavior under the high-time-pressure condition. Additionally, time pressure attenuated the association between regret feelings for missed opportunities and risky decision-making (Study 3). Overall, this study highlights that maximizers’ regret feelings about missed opportunities drive them to take risky decision-making, and time pressure can reduce the degree to which this occurs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8823,"journal":{"name":"Behavioural Brain Research","volume":"500 ","pages":"Article 115992"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Behavioural Brain Research","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432825005790","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/12/12 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Given the complexity of the environment and the constraints on cognitive resources, missed opportunities frequently arise in risky decision-making. However, the relationship between regret feelings for missed opportunities and subsequent risky decision-making among maximizers, as well as the influence of time pressure on this dynamic, remains unclear. Based on 580 participants, we conducted a cross-sectional survey and two EEG experiments to investigate these issues. The results revealed a positive correlation between maximization and risk-taking tendency (Study 1). Compared to satisficers, maximizers showed stronger regret feelings and increased the late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes in response to missed opportunities, and were more inclined to engage in risky decisions. Moreover, maximizers’ regret feelings about missed opportunities facilitated their risky decision-making by amplifying LPP amplitudes (Study 2). Compared to the low-time-pressure condition, maximizers exhibited diminished regret feelings and reduced LPP amplitudes in response to missed opportunities, and less risky decision-making behavior under the high-time-pressure condition. Additionally, time pressure attenuated the association between regret feelings for missed opportunities and risky decision-making (Study 3). Overall, this study highlights that maximizers’ regret feelings about missed opportunities drive them to take risky decision-making, and time pressure can reduce the degree to which this occurs.

查看原文本刊更多论文

超越未走的路：在最大化者中经历过后悔诱导的风险寻求。

考虑到环境的复杂性和认知资源的限制，在高风险决策中经常会出现错失机会的情况。然而，对错失机会的后悔情绪与最大化者随后的冒险决策之间的关系，以及时间压力对这种动态的影响，目前尚不清楚。基于580名参与者，我们进行了横断面调查和两次脑电图实验来研究这些问题。结果显示，最大化与冒险倾向呈正相关（研究1）。与满足者相比，最大化者在错失机会时表现出更强烈的后悔情绪，并增加了后期积极电位（LPP）振幅，更倾向于从事风险决策。此外，最大化者对错失机会的后悔情绪通过放大LPP振幅促进了他们的风险决策（研究2）。与低时间压力条件下相比，在高时间压力条件下，最大化者对错失机会的后悔情绪和LPP振幅有所减少，风险决策行为也有所减少。此外，时间压力减弱了错失机会的后悔情绪与冒险决策之间的联系（研究3）。总的来说，这项研究强调了最大化者对错过机会的后悔情绪驱使他们做出冒险的决策，而时间压力可以降低这种情况发生的程度。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Behavioural Brain Research 医学-行为科学

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

383

审稿时长

61 days

期刊介绍： Behavioural Brain Research is an international, interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the publication of articles in the field of behavioural neuroscience, broadly defined. Contributions from the entire range of disciplines that comprise the neurosciences, behavioural sciences or cognitive sciences are appropriate, as long as the goal is to delineate the neural mechanisms underlying behaviour. Thus, studies may range from neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, neurochemical or neuropharmacological analysis of brain-behaviour relations, including the use of molecular genetic or behavioural genetic approaches, to studies that involve the use of brain imaging techniques, to neuroethological studies. Reports of original research, of major methodological advances, or of novel conceptual approaches are all encouraged. The journal will also consider critical reviews on selected topics.