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Anne Dalke's picture

Correlating Maximizing, Regret and Happiness

Submitted by Anne Dalke on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 9:03pm.

Today in class, both sections took three of the surveys included in The Paradox of Choice. The first measured our inclinations to "maximize" (a score < 65=maximizer, one > 40=satisficer); the second was a "regret scale" (predicted to correlate highly w/ maximizing); and the third was a "subjective happiness scale," intended to indicate the degree to which looking for social confirmation decreases happiness.

I've listed the "raw" data below (minus names), though there are a number of caveats. Our section thought the first scale meaningless, because the areas in which we are inclined to be "picky" vs. "choosy" were so varied that it skewed the results; we also reversed the scoring on the "happiness" scale, in order to get a positive correlation w/ regret and maximizing.

There is also an amazing (to me) table and graph of correlations forthcoming, based on the data from our class, which Leigh prepared on the spot in front of everyone--only now I can't find it to enter here. I promise I will...

Table-challenged,
Anne

  Maximization Regret Happiness
Peter's class 29 8 15
  35 6 19
  56 20 15
  45 13 18
  52 14 12
  58 12 18
  56 23 21
  39 14 10
  61 18 19
  49 18 16
  51 12 19
  50 15 10
  49 5
 18
  48 27 16
  50 24 16
Anne's
class
 52 29 4
  54 15 13
  50 19 10
  40 16 11
  46 11 10
  44.5 9 9
  64 15 12
  57 17 12
  57 12 19
  66 17 14
  48 16 18
  30 18 8
  54 19 10
  68 26 16
  45 25 18

P.S. Here 'tis!
"Maximize, Regret and Be Happy...."

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