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Feeling distressed from making decisions: Assessors' need to be right
Charlene Y Chen1, Maya Rossignac-Milon2, E Tory Higgins2
1Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|February 13, 2018
Summary
Individuals with high assessment tendencies experience more decision-making distress due to truth concerns about making the right choice. This research highlights how these concerns impact psychological well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Decision-making is a common human activity.
- Some individuals experience significant distress during decision-making.
- Assessment tendencies are linked to concerns about making the correct decision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between assessment tendencies and decision-making distress.
- To explore the mediating role of truth concerns in this relationship.
- To examine the generalizability of these findings across various decision contexts.
Main Methods:
- Conducted five studies, including four correlational studies across different decision contexts and one experimental study.
- Utilized self-report measures of assessment and distress.
- Employed a meta-analysis to synthesize findings from the correlational studies.
- Used an implicit measure of truth concerns in the experimental study.
Main Results:
- Assessment tendencies were consistently positively associated with decision-making distress.
- Concerns about being wrong mediated the relationship between assessment and distress.
- The experimental induction of assessment also led to increased distress, mediated by truth concerns.
- Findings were robust across different decision contexts and measurement methods.
Conclusions:
- High assessment tendencies are a significant source of distress during decision-making.
- Truth concerns, specifically the fear of making a wrong decision, are a key mechanism driving this distress.
- These findings have important implications for the psychological well-being of individuals prone to high assessment.
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