The negative consequences of maximizing in friendship selection

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6204833
AutoresDavid B Newman (0000-0002-1296-5817, University of Southern California), Joanna Schug (0000-0003-1925-9496, William & Mary), M Yuki (0000-0002-4589-5616, Hokkaido University), Junko Yamada (0000-0001-6595-2078, Hokkaido University), John B Nezlek (0000-0003-4963-3637, William & Mary)
Ano2018
Volume114
Fascículo5
Páginas804-824
Data de publicação2018-05-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
EditoraAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/pspp0000141
PMID28240940
OpenAlexW2591805387
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas15
Referências citadas29

Previous studies have shown that the maximizing orientation, reflecting a motivation to select the best option among a given set of choices, is associated with various negative psychological outcomes. In the present studies, we examined whether these relationships extend to friendship selection and how the number of options for friends moderated these effects. Across 5 studies, maximizing in selecting friends was negatively related to life satisfaction, positive affect, and self-esteem, and was positively related to negative affect and regret. In Study 1, a maximizing in selecting friends scale was created, and regret mediated the relationships between maximizing and well-being. In a naturalistic setting in Studies 2a and 2b, the tendency to maximize among those who participated in the fraternity and sorority recruitment process was negatively related to satisfaction with their selection, and positively related to regret and negative affect. In Study 3, daily levels of maximizing were negatively related to daily well-being, and these relationships were mediated by daily regret. In Study 4, we extended the findings to samples from the U.S. and Japan. When participants who tended to maximize were faced with many choices, operationalized as the daily number of friends met (Study 3) and relational mobility (Study 4), the opportunities to regret a decision increased and further diminished well-being. These findings imply that, paradoxically, attempts to maximize when selecting potential friends is detrimental to one's well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record

Affect (linguistics) · Developmental psychology · Friendship · MEDLINE · Operationalization · PsycINFO · Regret · Selection (genetic algorithm) · Set (abstract data type) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Social Psychology