Anticipated Regret Scale

What it measures

Measures the anticipation of regret — the negative emotion consumers expect to feel if they make a particular choice. Anticipated regret is a powerful driver of both purchasing (fear of missing out, inaction regret) and avoidance (fear of a bad purchase, action regret). Widely used in decision-making research, high-involvement purchase contexts, and health-related consumer choices.

Response format

Likert (1–7, very unlikely to very likely or strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

Action Regret — anticipated regret from choosing a product that performs poorly (Likert 1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

• If I buy this product and it turns out to be unsatisfactory, I will regret buying it.
• I will feel bad if I buy this product and it does not meet my expectations.
• I expect to feel regret if I choose this product and it turns out to be a bad choice.

Inaction Regret — anticipated regret from not choosing a product that would have been good

• If I don't buy this product and later find out it was great, I will regret it.
• Not choosing this product might be something I will regret later.
• I will feel bad if I pass on this product and later find out it was a good choice.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Two subscale scores. Action regret predicts more deliberative, cautious purchase decisions; inaction regret predicts impulsivity and scarcity-induced urgency. Anticipated regret mediates the effect of loss framing on purchase intention. Particularly useful in research on limited-time offers, scarcity appeals, and insurance purchase contexts.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Richard, R., van der Pligt, J., & de Vries, N. (1996). Anticipated regret and time perspective: Changing sexual risk-taking behavior. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 9(3), 185–199.

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