義務本位社會中的責任與後悔：聽不聽父母的話對後悔的影響

Abstract

華人子女做決定時，父母常要子女聽從他們的意見。本研究探討當結果不佳時，子女聽或不聽父母的話，是如何透過盡責與咎責來影響親子的後悔程度。本研究採實驗故事法讓子女與家長閱讀不同故事後評量。研究一顯示，子女聽話比不聽話使子女更後悔，且為家庭犧牲需要性高低會調節子女後悔程度。此外，歸咎父母責任會中介聽不聽話對子女的後悔程度，但歸咎自己責任則否。研究二顯示，父母因沒要求子女聽話而事前未盡責比盡責使父母更後悔，但子女聽話父母要事後負責比子女不聽話使父母更後悔。此外，父母歸咎自身責任會中介子女聽不聽話對父母的後悔程度，但歸咎子女責任則否。研究三顯示，在弱義務事件，子女聽話比不聽話使子女更後悔，是透過事後咎責而中介；在強義務事件，子女不聽話比聽話使子女更後悔，是透過事前盡責而中介。整體而言，子女決定是否聽話，可思考聽話事件的義務性強弱。若強義務事件因聽話能事前對父母盡責，或弱義務事件因不聽話而事後不對父母咎責，則能讓人較不後悔。

When making decisions, Chinese parents often ask their children to obey them. This research explored that when obeying or disobeying parents led to poor results, how ex ante responsibility fulfillment and ex post responsibility attribution altered the degrees of regret. Using scenario experiments, we assessed the attitudes of children and parents. Study 1 showed that in choosing college majors, obeying parents made children more regretful than disobeying, and responsibility attribution to parents mediated the effects of obeying or disobeying on regret, but responsibility attribution to self did not. Study 2 provided that in choosing college majors, parents who have not asked their children to obey them and have not fulfilled ex ante responsibility were more regretful than those who have; but with children obeying, parents were more regretful than children disobeying due to more ex post responsibility attributed to themselves. Further, the responsibility parents attributed to themselves mediated the effects of obeying or disobeying on regret, but responsibility attribution to children did not. Study 3 demonstrated that in a weak-duty event, obeying parents made children more regretful than disobeying, and attributing ex post responsibility to parents mediated the effects of obeying or disobeying on regret; in a strong-duty event, disobeying parents made children more regretful than obeying, and fulfilling ex ante responsibility to parents mediated the effects of obeying or disobeying on regret. Overall, when children contemplate on whether to obey or disobey their parents, they can consider the degree of duty associated with the event. If obeying parents can fulfill ex ante responsibility to parents in a strong-duty event, or disobeying parents can not attribute ex post responsibility to parents in a weak-duty event, then we are less likely to regret.