Relationships can be complex and unpredictable, and sometimes the ending of one can catch us completely off guard. Shedding light on this phenomenon, a study, conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, reveals the impact of hindsight bias on our perception of relationships. Hindsight bias refers to our tendency to believe that we “knew all along” that a particular event was bound to happen, but only after it has already occurred.
For the study, published in Social Psychological Bulletin, the researchers recruited 515 adults and presented them with a story about a fictional couple. The participants were asked to imagine different outcomes for the relationship based on the story. The participants were divided into three groups — a control group and two experimental groups — who were informed about either a breakup or a continuation of the relationship.
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