Adult Age Differences in the Response to and Regulation of Recent Versus Long-Term Regrets

As guidance to all of us, Nolte, Lewis, and Löckenhoff studied 90 U.S. adults ages 21 to 89 to examine how people of different ages experience and manage recent versus long-term regrets. They found that older adults reported fewer recent regrets and less intense negative emotions such as anger, and they were more likely to regret opportunities they had not taken rather than actions they wished they had avoided. The findings suggest that the emotional experience of regret changes with age, although the authors caution that some differences could reflect generational differences rather than aging itself.

Nolte, J., Lewis, J. L., & Löckenhoff, C. E. (2026). Adult age differences in the response to and regulation of recent versus long-term regrets. Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001672

Jeannine Monnier, Ph.D.

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