Adult age differences in the response to and regulation of recent versus long-term regrets

Past research on age-related differences in regrets and their regulation has failed to separate the effects of age versus recency (i.e., time since the regret originated). To address this gap, we collected data from N = 90 U.S. adults (M_age = 49.81, SD_age = 18.71, 63% women) who reported their most severe recent and long-time regrets. Present- and future-oriented regret regulation strategies were assessed with respect to decision avoidance, decision alteration, and affect-based strategies. In addition, we accounted for demographic, socioemotional, health, personality, and cognitive covariates, including perceived control and future time perspective. For recent regrets, older age was associated with reporting fewer, more omission-based, and fewer interpersonal regrets. Reliance on affect-based strategies (present-oriented) and decision alteration (future-oriented) was less common with age. For long-term regrets, older age was associated with reporting regrets that were more distant, less controllable, more omission-based, and less likely to be downregulated. Regarding covariates, older adults' lesser perceived control over long-term regrets was associated with age differences in omission-based regrets, and their more limited future time perspective was associated with age differences in interpersonal regrets. Several of the observed age effects, particularly those linked to long-term regrets, were associated with age differences in cognition and affect, whereas many effects concerning recent regrets were not associated with covariates. Overall, findings illustrate the necessity to distinguish between recent and long-term regrets when examining age-related differences. Given the limited diversity of the sample, the findings may not readily generalize to less well-educated or non-White populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).