Antecedents of Consumer Regret Frequency: The Roles of Decision Agency, Status Signaling, and Online Shopping Preference

Abstract

Consumer regret is a widespread post-purchase emotion that significantly impacts satisfaction, product returns, complaint behavior, and customer loyalty. Despite its prevalence, there is a limited understanding of why certain consumers experience regret more frequently as a chronic aspect of their engagement in the marketplace. This study explores the antecedents of consumer regret frequency by integrating decision agency, status signaling motivations, and online shopping preferences into a cohesive framework. By analyzing survey data (n=338), we assess whether consumers' perceived agency and decision-making orientation correlate with the frequency of regret, and whether tendencies towards status-related consumption and preferences for online shopping environments exacerbate regret through mechanisms such as increased social comparison, expanded choice sets, and continuous exposure to alternative offers. The findings reveal that regret frequency is significantly linked to individual differences in decision-related orientations and status signaling, with a preference for online shopping further contributing to regret-prone consumption behaviors. These results extend the scope of regret and cognitive dissonance research beyond isolated decision episodes by emphasizing regret frequency as a persistent consumer outcome. From a managerial standpoint, the findings suggest that retailers can alleviate regret-driven dissatisfaction by enhancing decision support, minimizing choice overload, and developing post-purchase reassurance strategies tailored to segments prone to regret..