Members in the Media
From: Forbes

Saw It Coming? Research Reveals Why Some Breakups Feel Eerily Predictable

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.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): Forbes

More of our Members in the Media >


APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines.

Please login with your APS account to comment.