Simplicity Effects in the Experience of Near-Miss

TL;DR

This paper explores how emotional responses to near-miss situations are influenced by Simplicity Theory, providing an integrated explanation for the intensity of these experiences beyond rational or probabilistic models.

Contribution

It introduces Simplicity Theory as a framework to better predict emotional reactions to near-misses, addressing gaps in existing rationality-based explanations.

Findings

Simplicity Theory partially predicts emotional intensity in near-miss experiences.

People's judgments of near-misses are consistent across situations.

Theoretical account aligns with observed emotional responses.

Abstract

Near-miss experiences are one of the main sources of intense emotions. Despite people's consistency when judging near-miss situations and when communicating about them, there is no integrated theoretical account of the phenomenon. In particular, individuals' reaction to near-miss situations is not correctly predicted by rationality-based or probability-based optimization. The present study suggests that emotional intensity in the case of near-miss is in part predicted by Simplicity Theory.