This is an ongoing project, which also constitutes of my doctoral thesis.

• Individuals commonly employ the term "RELIEF" (欣慰) to describe a state of inner satisfaction and solace in daily life:
• Following successful examination outcomes, one feels RELIEF that their efforts were not in vain.
• Witnessing a child's growth and understanding towards their parents brings a sense of RELIEF, signifying the success of educational endeavors.
• Experiencing RELIEF from aiding others and receiving gratitude underscores the fulfillment derived from not merely standing by but actively contributing.

• In the preceding descriptions, "RELIEF" indicated an evaluative and reflective process during the experience of the emotion, akin to what is termed "counterfactual thinking" in psychological research.
• Researchers posit that the emotion of relief arises from this counterfactual thinking process. If the actual outcome of an action is positive or neutral, or if an alternative decision could have resulted in a less favorable outcome, it leads to a more negative result.
• When contemplating scenarios in this manner, relief, as a counterfactual emotion, emerges. This emotion is rooted in downward comparisons between the actual outcome and the potential alternative outcomes (Guttentag & Ferrell, 2004).
• For instance, a person might experience relief after catching a train, as failing to do so would have incurred expensive taxi fees.

Why do these events evoke a feeling of relief, and are the relief emotions triggered by these events identical?

• However, the conceptual structure of "RELIEF" may not be as straightforward. There are numerous emotional events that can trigger a sense of relief. This question corresponds to the classic issue in the field of emotions: "How are emotions generated" (Levenson, 2011).

• From Darwin's initial explanations of emotions to the James-Lange theory and Cannon-Bard's thalamic theory, early theories posited that physiological responses to emotional stimuli and emotional experiences occur simultaneously and independently, without considering an individual's processing of emotional events. As research on emotions has progressed, the "cognitive-appraisal" theory emphasizes the significant role of cognitive processes in the emotion generation process. This theory asserts that individuals' emotional responses to the same situation depend on their interpretation or appraisal of the situation.

• This theory provides a framework for addressing the question of how RELIEF is generated. The emotional response elicited by an event is determined by how the event is interpreted across multiple appraisal dimensions. These dimensions include the novelty of the event, the valence of the outcome, the relevance to goals, the perceived level of control, and the likelihood of fairness (Scherer & Moors, 2019).

• By integrating this theory, researchers can employ quantitative methods to analyze the structure of relief in studies and investigate the role of different components in the process of relief generation.

THE “IF… THEN…” PROCESS IN RELIEF

• In the earlier discussion, it was mentioned that RELIEF, arises from the process of counterfactual thinking, involving a "if...then..." process, which inherently includes a decision-making component.

• When experiencing RELIEF after catching a train, for example, it may stem from downward counterfactual thinking such as "If I hadn't left early, then I wouldn't have caught this train." The decision-making process is evident in the choices made, like deciding to leave early or wait a bit longer.

So, does this kind of relief emotion influence subsequent decision-making?

• Does the sense of RELIEF influence the decision to leave early for the next train? This is where RELIEF’s impact on decision-making comes into play. Risk decision-making involves decisions in the face of known probabilities (Kahneman, 1991). In risk decision-making, individuals need to integrate various pieces of information to make optimal choices. Given the ubiquity and complexity of risk decision-making, it has been a focal point of interdisciplinary research. Therefore, building on the discussion of relief structure, this study also attempts to analyze the influence of emotions on behavior.

• The process of risk decision-making essentially involves evaluating between "if" and "then," weighing losses and gains. Therefore, this evaluative process can correspond to the structure of relief emotions. In summary, this study aims to integrate the componential theory of emotions, establish the conceptual structure of relief in the Chinese cultural context, and analyze its impact on risk decision-making.