Curiosity Killed the Cat, but What Did It Do to Dissonance?: Seeking Counterfactual Information
Summerville, Amy Lynn
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/82168
Description
Title
Curiosity Killed the Cat, but What Did It Do to Dissonance?: Seeking Counterfactual Information
Author(s)
Summerville, Amy Lynn
Issue Date
2008
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Roese, Neal J.
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Psychology, Social
Language
eng
Abstract
Individuals' responses to decisions are characterized by the interplay of emotions and cognitions, and as such require an organizing theoretical framework in order to be fully understood. The present research examines one such response to a decision: individuals' decisions to seek (or avoid) information about foregone alternatives following a decision, a phenomenon I term counterfactual-seeking. The currently dominant model of emotional and cognitive influences on decision making, regret-aversion (Zeelenberg, 1999), predicts that individuals are motivated to avoid counterfactual information in order to insulate themselves from potential regret. In contrast, I suggest that understanding the affective and behavioral implications of counterfactual information may be usefully informed by the theory of post-decisional cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957). I suggest that this perspective, which holds that individuals are motivated to relieve the aversive state triggered by a conflict between choosing a given option and recognizing that this option may be suboptimal, offers a valuable understanding of the phenomenon of counterfactual-seeking. In Study 1, I predict and find that counterfactual-seeking is able to reduce dissonance. Ins Studies 2 and 3, I find that negative outcomes and the experience of dissatisfaction, respectively, increase counterfactual-seeking. I argue that decision-making researchers would be wise to reconsider dissonance theory as a perspective that can grant new insights.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
