The Influence Of Regulatory Mode And Anticipated Regret On Advice Taking In Decision-making Process

Advice taking refers to the process of how decision maker change their initial decision and form their final decision based on the advice of others.It is suggested that advice taking in decision making is a focus in the research of behavioral decision making,and the researches are concentrated in exploring the influence of advice taking.The motivation of decision maker has a regulating effect on emotional reactions to advices and the depth of processing advices.Regulatory mode as motivation orientation and anticipated regret which induced by imagining counterfactual results before decision-making may be the judge factor and decision making process factor affecting advice taking.During the process of making judgement and decision to alternative possibilities,locomotion is a regulatory mode which aims at making state changes of the present,and assessment is another regulatory mode which aims at getting the best goal and decision.Different regulatory modes could generate independent function of motivation,and there are differences in emotional experience for decision makers with different regulatory modes.Then what is the effect of anticipated regret which induced by imagining counterfactual results before decision-making on advice taking of decision makers with different regulatory modes?There is theoretical and practical significance to learn the ways of enhancing the receptive to the advice from others and decision quality which combines the influences of judge factors,decision making process factors and advisor factors on advice taking.The study consisted of three experiments which develop one by one combined classical judge-advisor system paradigm by using a combination of questionnaires and behavioral experimental methods to examine the influence of regulatory mode and anticipated regret on advice taking and the buffering effect of advice expression on anticipated regret of decision makers with different regulatory mode.In experiment 1,2(regulatory mode:locomotion、assessment)×2(anticipated regret:without<control group>、with<experimental group>)were designed between two factors to explore the influence of different levels of trait regulatory mode and anticipated regret on advice taking.Experiment 2 consisted of two sub-experiments by using with-subject design and between-subject design respectively to examine if there were discrepancies between anticipated regret from erring after following advice and anticipated regret from erring after ignoring advice and the relationship between the level of anticipated regret and advice taking by scenario task.Based on experiment 1 and 2,in experiment 3,we conducted a 3-factor mixed design by the combination of 2(regulatory mode;locomotion、assessment)× 2(anticipated regret:follow regret、ignore regret)× 2(advice style:explicit、implicit)to investigate if there was the buffering effect of advice expression on anticipated regret of decision makers with different regulatory mode.The results of the experiment 1 showed that compared with decision makers with locomotion tendency,decision makers with assessment tendency placed greater weight on the advice of others;and compared with decision makers in control group without anticipated regret,decision makers in experimental group with anticipated regret placed greater weight on the advice of others.The results of the experiment 2 showed that the level of anticipated following regret tended to be significantly greater than the level of anticipated ignoring regret.Advice taking willingness was significantly and positively related to the level of anticipated ignore regret.The results of the experiment 3 showed that compared with explicit advice expression,decision makers with locomotion tendency when they experienced anticipated regret from erring after following advice were more likely to accept implicit advice expression.There was no significant difference of two advice expressions in the level of advice taking when decision makers were assessment tendency.But for explicit advice expression,compared with anticipated ignoring regret condition,decision makers with assessment tendency had higher level of advice taking in anticipated following regret condition,and decision makers with assessment tendency were more likely to accept explicit advice expression than decision makers with locomotion tendency in anticipated following regret condition.Based on the above results:1.Regulatory mode of decision maker would have impact on advice taking,and decision makers with locomotion tendency were more likely to go on with their initial goal and decision,but decision makers with assessment tendency focused on correct decision,and placed greater weight on the advice of others.2.Anticipated regret played a certain role in promoting advice taking,and"action effect" also existed in the process which advice taking was influenced by anticipated regret.3.There was the buffering effect of advice expression on anticipated regret of decision makers with different regulatory mode.When anticipated regret existed,advisor should offer implicit advice expression for decision makers with locomotion tendency and provide explicit advice expression for decision makers with assessment tendency for improving the level of advice taking.