Women Regret Failed Romances More Than Men

"Regret is a common part of our lives."

Do you find yourself constantly regretting a failed romance that you wish would have turned out differently? You're not alone. A new study has revealed that women tend to harbor greater regret than men when it comes to failed relationships, while more men say they regret work decisions.

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According to a study conducted by Neal Roese, a professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, most people live with some sort of regret in their lives. However, where we place that regret can take different forms.

After surveying 370 American adults, Roese found that about 44 percent of women had regrets about romance, while just 19 percent of men said the same. That compares to 35 percent of men who say they had work regrets, compared to less than 30 percent of women.

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"Regret is a common part of our lives, and it's something that we see ... in people of all walks of life," said Roese.

But there's a reason people tend to log romantic regrets, he says.

"The bad is obvious, but the good is it helps us put our lives together, helping us to put things into perspective," said Roese. "It helps to recognize ideals and goals. ...You can channel it into a current relationship. You may see some kernel of insight you can implement in your current life."

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The study, titled "Regrets of the Typical American: Findings from a Nationally Representative Sample," will be published in an upcoming issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science.

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