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When ignorance is not bliss: How feelings of discomfort promote the search for negative information

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  • Shani, Yaniv
  • Tykocinski, Orit E.
  • Zeelenberg, Marcel

Abstract

Recent decision-making research established that the experience of regret leads to post-decision information search [Shani, Y., & Zeelenberg, M. (2007). When and why do we want to know? How experienced regret promotes post-decision information search. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 20, 207-222]. It has been argued that people search information in hope to alleviate their negative feelings by excluding the possibility that unfavorable decision was made. Paradoxically, by seeking information people expose themselves to information that may confirm their negative feelings. The willingness to seek out potentially painful information was examined in three studies. Experiment 1 demonstrated that the tendency to seek definite knowledge about the attractiveness of a forgone opportunity is mediated by the emotional discomfort associated with remaining ignorant, and influenced by the probability that the search will uncover aversive information. This finding was replicated in Experiment 2 in a lab setting. Experiment 3 demonstrated that definite knowledge is less-aversive than uncertain ignorance, even when one finds out that one had missed a superior opportunity.

Suggested Citation

  • Shani, Yaniv & Tykocinski, Orit E. & Zeelenberg, Marcel, 2008. "When ignorance is not bliss: How feelings of discomfort promote the search for negative information," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 643-653, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:29:y:2008:i:5:p:643-653
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van de Ven, Niels & Zeelenberg, Marcel & van Dijk, Eric, 2005. "Buying and selling exchange goods: Outcome information, curiosity and the endowment effect," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 459-468, June.
    2. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. van Dijk, Wilco W. & van der Pligt, Joop, 1997. "The Impact of Probability and Magnitude of Outcome on Disappointment and Elation," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 277-284, March.
    4. Zeelenberg, Marcel & Nijstad, Bernard A. & van Putten, Marijke & van Dijk, Eric, 2006. "Inaction inertia, regret, and valuation: A closer look," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 89-104, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Javad Nasiry & Ioana Popescu, 2012. "Advance Selling When Consumers Regret," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1160-1177, June.
    2. Kinneret Teodorescu & Ke Sang & Peter M. Todd, 2018. "Post-decision search in repeated and variable environments," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 13(5), pages 484-500, September.
    3. Marcel Zeelenberg & Rob M. A. Nelissen & Seger M. Breugelmans & Rik Pieters, 2008. "On emotion specificity in decision making: why feeling is for doing," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 3, pages 18-27, January.
    4. repec:cup:judgdm:v:13:y:2018:i:5:p:484-500 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Ruttan, Rachel L. & Nordgren, Loran F., 2016. "The strength to face the facts: Self-regulation defends against defensive information processing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 86-98.
    6. Jayasimha, K.R. & Srivastava, Himanshu S., 2017. "Consumer advocacy: Examining the feeling and doing following a failed service encounter," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 201-208.
    7. Lemieux, James & Peterson, Robert A., 2011. "Purchase deadline as a moderator of the effects of price uncertainty on search duration," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 33-44, February.
    8. Emanuel, Amber S. & Kiviniemi, Marc T. & Howell, Jennifer L. & Hay, Jennifer L. & Waters, Erika A. & Orom, Heather & Shepperd, James A., 2015. "Avoiding cancer risk information," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 113-120.
    9. repec:cup:judgdm:v:3:y:2008:i::p:18-27 is not listed on IDEAS

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