Disappointment

Disappointment is sadness or frustration caused when an expectation, hope, or desired outcome is not fulfilled. It combines an unwanted result with the gap between what was expected and what occurred.

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Expectation: An expectation is a belief about what is likely to happen. Disappointment begins when an expected outcome fails to occur.
Sadness: Sadness is an unpleasant emotion commonly associated with loss, failure, or unwanted change. Disappointment is a specific form of distress that often includes sadness.
Disappointment aversion: Disappointment aversion is a tendency to avoid choices that risk falling short of expectations. It describes how anticipated disappointment can alter decisions before results arrive.
Broken promise: A broken promise occurs when someone fails to fulfill a commitment they made. A broken promise can disappoint by violating an explicit expectation between people.
Counterfactual thinking: Counterfactual thinking involves imagining alternatives to events that have already happened. Imagining how things might have gone differently can sharpen disappointment.
Anger: Anger is an emotion associated with perceived offense, obstruction, or injustice. Frustrated expectations can make disappointment shift toward anger.
Expectation disconfirmation theory: Expectation disconfirmation theory explains satisfaction through comparisons between expectations and perceived performance. It applies expectation gaps to evaluations of products and services.
Betrayal: Betrayal is the violation of trust or loyalty by someone expected to uphold it. When disappointment comes from a trusted person, it may be experienced as betrayal.
Cognitive appraisal: Cognitive appraisal is the evaluation of an event’s significance for a person’s goals and well-being. Appraisal helps explain why the same outcome disappoints one person more than another.
Hope: Hope is the desire for a valued outcome combined with some expectation that it may occur. Disappointment often follows hopes that seemed attainable.