Brown University: Psychology Master's Program

It is hard not to think about the “What Ifs” in life. From the relationships we had in the past, to the jobs we passed up, humans have a tendency to compare their current options to numerous alternatives that could have been experienced (Coricelli & Rustichini, 2010). One example is maintaining a fading long-distance friendship. Do you continue the friendship despite the diminishing quality? Partnerships and relationships require us to compare the value of staying with a current partner against the value of leaving for an unknown, perhaps better, option. This can often be difficult to assess, since there are many social influences (e.g., the cooperativeness, kindness, trustworthiness of our partner can vary) that make it unclear whether it is optimal to continue the friendship or leave for potentially greener pastures.

Read my complete thesis HERE!