The Timing Of Purchase, The Consistency Of Decision-making With Friends, And The Degree Of Caution On The Expected Regret Of College Students

This research explored how counterfactual thinking and perceived decision justifiability influenced anticipated regret of consumers at the same time. There were 80 participants joint study 1, this study used 2 (purchase timing) x2 (consistency with friends’ decision ) mixed experimental design, deeply verified the feature of probability of the counterfactual thinking and its influence to anticipated regret. There were 80 participants joint study 2, for exploring the effect of perceived decision justifiability to anticipated regret, this study used 2 (purchase timing) x2 (decision process carefulness) mixed experimental design. There were 240 participants joint study 3, this study used 2 (purchase timing) x2 (consistency with friends’ decision)x2 ( decision process carefulness ) completely random design, discussed whether participants could induce their counterfactural thinking by themselves when there were no within-subjects design in the study, and did a systematically research on the effect of these three factors to anticipated regret.The results were as followed:(I) In study 1, the main effect of consistency with friends’ decision to customers’anticipated regret was significant; the main effect of purchase timing to customers’anticipated regret was not significant; the interaction was not significant.(2 ) In study 2, the main effect of decision process carefulness to customers’anticipated regret was significant; the main effect of purchase timing to customers’anticipated regret was not significant; the interaction was not significant.(3) In study 3, the main effect of purchase timing to customers’ anticipated regret was significant; the main effect of consistency with friends’ decision to customers’anticipated regret was not significant; the main effect of decision process carefulness to customers’ anticipated regret was significant; the interaction was not significant.The conclusion were as followed:(1 ) The probability of individual’s anticipated regret would be induced when participants made the same decision with friends. Furthermore, it caused less anticipated regret.(2) When customers made decisions more carefully, they perceived their decisions were more justifiable, so they would feel less anticipated regret.(3 ) Counterfactual thinking and perceived decision justifiability could influence anticipated regret of consumers at the same time. Consistency with friends’ decision was similar to a “small group" normality,it had less effect on anticipated regret when participants made decision carefully and they perceived their decisions were of high justifiability. But at the same time, purchase timing,as the “social custom" normality still had effect on anticipated regret. When chose to buy in the future, customers felt less regret.