As humans, we experience regret in all different forms of our lives. Unfortunately, these emotions seem to radiate even more now than ever in the time of a pandemic like COVID-19. For example, we may regret not spending time with our family. Others may regret taking advantage of how times were before society was made of social distancing, masks, and a virus circling around us. As we mature, we all consciously make decisions in hopes we do not regret them later on whether it is deciding to eat that second piece of cake or denying that job offer. However, we are not the only species to account for our losses and gains. New research can be a breakthrough to understanding how non-verbal animals are more similar than one may think to humans.
Researchers in the study “Mice learn to avoid regret” showed how rats use different behavior to affect their decisions. They showed that a species such as mice used strategies to maximize their food intake when under a constraint of time. The results showed how another species makes judgements and decisions using various flavors of stimuli in the form of pellets of food. Once the mice weighed all of their options using cues with a lower pitch signaling a shorter wait time and the higher pitch signaled a longer wait time. These mice learned how to avoid regret by strategizing so that they would not go to bed hungry. Data showed that mice had preferences over certain flavors. Once the mice were aware of the placement of their favorite flavors, they had to decide if waiting longer for their preferred flavor was worth it in the end. Ultimately, the mice showed similar behavior as humans. When they were trained in the task, they could make decisions for themselves to hopefully let their gain outweigh the cost.
Just as the mice did, humans weigh these costs and benefits in their daily decisions as well. In an article titled “Treating Regret”, it is seen that most medical professionals overlook regret even though we all experience it. It was shown that creating a space for people to confront their emotions after making a life-altering decision makes a big difference. This specific article talks about a case in which a patient's wife experiences regret after her husband was out of the 4.5 hour window for TPA (a clot-busting medicine that can reverse the effects of a stroke). This specific situation led to long term irreversible effects that her husband will have to live with. As seen with this situation, the ongoing pandemic also has regret in patients who test positive for the novel coronavirus. Some may think if only I wore my mask or was safer in my daily practices then I would not be sitting in the ICU hanging on for dear life. Many people are not taking the pandemic seriously until someone directly related to them is affected. Humans are selfish by nature and we take other people’s opinions into account too much when making decisions for ourselves which ultimately leads to regret. Once we fail ourselves then our failures eventually spread to other aspects of our lives as well. This directly shows the behavior we saw in the rats that we are trying to avoid regret for a later situation.
As we can see, regret happens in humans but if we can avoid it then we will. However, this new research shows directly how other species can be affected as well. As we see the world changing around us, other species see this on an everyday basis. Showing that rats try to avoid regret may provide insight into how animals strategize for themselves when their environment is changing. As we are altering our decisions to avoid a virus, animals are doing the same to maximize their benefits. This research with rats is only the beginning of the research of regret. As we study more and more species, it may reveal how complex and intricate the emotions within the brain actually are.
Citations:
Sweis, B. M., Thomas, M. J., & Redish, A. D. (2018). Mice learn to avoid regret. PLOS Biology,16(6). doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.2005853.
Khullar, D. (2020, January 22). “Treating Regret.” New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/well/doctors-patients-stroke-medical-treatment-regret.html?searchResultPosition=3.
Cornell University. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda: The haunting regret of failing our ideal selves." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 May 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180529153106.htm>.
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