Kutscher, Lucas Feldman, Gilad The impact of past behaviour normality on regret: replication and extension of three experiments of the exceptionality effect <p>Norm theory (Kahneman, D., & Miller, D. T. (1986). Norm theory: Comparing reality to its alternatives. <i>Psychological Review</i>, <i>93</i>, 136–153) described a tendency for people to associate stronger regret with a negative outcome when it is a result of an exception (abnormal behaviour) compared to when it is a result of routine (normal behaviour). In two pre-registered studies, we conducted a replication and extension of three classic experiments on past behaviour exception/routine contrasts (<i>N</i> = 684). We successfully replicated Kahneman and Miller’s (1986) experiments with the classic hitchhiker-scenario (Part 1) and car accident-scenario (Part 2). In both cases, participants examined negative outcomes and tended to indicate a protagonist who deviated from own past behaviour as more regretful than another who followed routine. Pre-registered extensions also showed effects for ratings of social norms, negative affect, and perceived luck. We did not find support for the Miller, D. T., and McFarland, C. [(1986). Counterfactual thinking and victim compensation: A test of norm theory. <i>Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</i>, <i>12</i>, 513–519] experiment robbery scenario (Part 3) using a compensation measure, in that compensation to a victim of a robbery was not significantly different comparing exceptional and routine circumstances. However, a pre-registered extension showed that robbery under exceptional circumstances was perceived as more regretful than robbery under routine circumstances. We discuss implications for current and future research.</p> Normality;norm theory;regret;exception routine;exceptionality effect;replication 2018-08-11
    https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_impact_of_past_behaviour_normality_on_regret_replication_and_extension_of_three_experiments_of_the_exceptionality_effect/6958286
10.6084/m9.figshare.6958286.v1