Graduate Student, School of Psychology
I'm postgraduate representative too!
College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Thesis Title: The development of children's early experiences of regret and relief
About
There are plenty of times when we, as adults, make a mistake or choose what turns out to be the wrong choice. In these situations we often think about ‘what could have been’, prompting thoughts such as ‘if only I hadn’t…’ or ‘I knew I shouldn’t have…’ We also make decisions that turn out to be the right ones, characterized by thoughts such as 'thank goodness for that' or 'could you imagine if...'. We label this process as counterfactual thinking. We compare what actually happened with ‘what could have been’.
When the situations are particularly meaningful, valuable or worthwhile, these thoughts are often accompanied by physiological responses, known as counterfactual-thinking-based emotions, and alongside counterfactual thinking, an experience of regret and relief is elicited.
I am interested in these thought processes in children, particularly the ages and the manner in which these feelings emerge and become fully developed. I'm also investigating the comparisons between children’s own experience of regret and relief and their understanding of someone else experiencing them.
Over the past 24 months, I have run ten studies around the country that have involved over 900 children from 3- to 9-years-old playing a game which prompts comparisons of the actual outcome to what could have been. I have also investigated children’s understanding of the feelings of two characters in a story after they made a wrong decision.
My latest work is really exciting. I have three projects at the moment:
(1) I'm investigating how children justify other people’s feelings after watching them play a game in which they make some wrong and some right decisions.
(2) I'm questioning whether self-blame is a necessary factor, as it is for adults, for an experience of regret and relief in children. I'm manipulating the idea of choice vs. chance. Children either choose one of two boxes and keep the winnings or losses and they see what they could have chosen OR children are given a box and can keep the winnings or losses, then see what they could have been given.
(3) I'm investigating children's explicit facial expressions that accompany their experience of regret and relief. This study may identify differences in understanding and experiencing these emotions
The results of these studies and my other work are useful for parents and teachers alike who may attempt to encourage children to consider ‘what they could have done instead, only to find that this may fall on uncomprehending ears.
Contact Information
http://www.cogdev.bham.ac.uk/people/Weisberg.shtml
Cognitive Development Group,
School of Psychology,
University of Birmingham,
Edgbaston,
B15 2TT
0121 414 2855
Twitter: wizey25
