The Psychology of the Sour Grape Effect

Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities

Description

Why a small fruit became synonymous with things not working out as we had hoped.

Key points

  • In hindsight, we can devalue the importance of goals that we’ve fallen short on achieving.
  • The so-called sour grape effect may help to bolster our levels of positivity to tackle the next goal.
  • Research suggests that people who are more achievement-focused are less likely to experience sour grapes.
Period24 Jan 2025

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleThe Psychology of the Sour Grape Effect
    Degree of recognitionInternational
    Media name/outletPsychology Today
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date24/01/2025
    DescriptionWhy a small fruit became synonymous with things not working out as we had hoped.
    Key points
    In hindsight, we can devalue the importance of goals that we’ve fallen short on achieving.
    The so-called sour grape effect may help to bolster our levels of positivity to tackle the next goal.
    Research suggests that people who are more achievement-focused are less likely to experience sour grapes.
    Producer/AuthorRoss White
    URLhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-tools-for-thriving/202501/the-psychology-of-the-sour-grape-effect
    PersonsRoss White
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Keywords

  • Psychological flexibility
  • Thrive