Examining the role of relational utility in guilt and regret

Abstract

Relational utility refers to the value of another person for the attainment of one's future goals through social interaction. Nelissen (2014) found that relational utility influences the intensity of guilt feelings. Specifically, people would feel stronger guilt for hurting a person if this person has high relational utility compared to low relational utility. Guilt is thus not only sensitive to how much another person is hurt, but also to one's own future benefits. Previous research suggested that regret, an emotion strongly related to guilt, is typically experienced when one's own benefit is involved. Regret was not measured in Nelissen's research. In the present research, we examined the role of relational utility in experienced guilt and regret and explored whether the effect of relational utility on regret could explain why relational utility has an effect on guilt. Specifically, we attempt to replicate and extend Nelissen's Study 1 by adding a measure of regret. In two experimental studies we did not replicate the effect of relational utility on guilt, and we only found an effect of relational utility on regret in Study 1 (and not in Study 2). Possible reasons for the contradictory findings of the two studies are discussed.