The misprediction of affectionate: Negative evaluations following a failed romantic pursuit are less severe than expected

Study 1, comprising four sub-studies, aims to investigate the phenomenon of prediction bias following rejection in romantic pursuit characterized by high emotional investment. Specifically, it examines whether pursuers underestimate how positively recipients evaluate their highly emotionally invested romantic pursuit after rejection, explores the underlying reasons for this prediction bias, and tests whether reminding pursuers of the recipients’ perceived warmth during the pursuit can reduce or eliminate the bias. Expected outcomes: A prediction bias is anticipated, whereby pursuers underestimate recipients’ evaluations of their highly emotionally invested romantic pursuit after rejection. This bias is expected to occur because, compared to pursuers’ predictions, recipients actually focus more on the pursuer’s warmth and less on their competence, leading pursuers to underestimate recipients’ evaluations. Reminding pursuers of the recipients’ warmth perception during the pursuit is hypothesized to reduce the prediction bias. Study 2, also consisting of four sub-studies, aims to examine the prediction bias following rejection in romantic pursuit characterized by high emotional investment from the perspective of observers. It investigates whether pursuers underestimate how positively observers evaluate their highly emotionally invested romantic pursuit after rejection, explores the reasons for this bias, and tests whether reminding pursuers of the observers’ perceived warmth during the pursuit can reduce or eliminate the bias. Expected outcomes: A prediction bias is expected, such that pursuers underestimate observers’ evaluations of their highly emotionally invested romantic pursuit after rejection. This bias is predicted to arise because, compared to pursuers’ expectations, observers actually place greater emphasis on the pursuer’s warmth and less on their competence, leading pursuers to underestimate observers’ evaluations. Reminding pursuers of the observers’ warmth perception during the pursuit is hypothesized to reduce the prediction bias.