Counterfactual reasoning for regretted situations involving controllable versus uncontrollable events: The modulating role of contingent self-esteem

Abstract

We report a study that examined the modulating impact of contingent self-esteem on regret
intensity for regretted outcomes associated with controllable versus uncontrollable events.
The Contingent Self-Esteem Scale (e.g., Kernis & Goldman, 2006) was used to assess the extent
to which a person’s sense of self-worth is based on self and others’ expectations. We found
that there was an influence of self-esteem contingency for controllable but not for uncontrollable
regret types. For controllable regret types individuals with a high contingent (i.e., unstable)
self-esteem reported greater regret intensity than those with a low contingent (i.e., stable)
self-esteem. We interpret this finding as reflecting a functional and adaptive role of high
contingent self-esteem in terms of mobilizing the application of counterfactual reasoning
and planning mechanisms that can enable personal expectations to be achieved in the future.