Near Miss (Silver Medal with Low Spirits) vs. Close Call (Bronze Medal with Positive Spirits): A Psychological Syndrome Applicable in Education

Dear Friends,

Last week, a well-wisher forwarded me an interesting WhatsApp message about the psychology of a silver medalist versus a bronze medalist. Surprisingly, research shows that a bronze medalist is generally happier than a silver medalist at the end of the game. Ideally, one would expect the silver medalist to be happier than the bronze medalist, but the human mind doesn't operate like mathematics. This phenomenon is due to counterfactual thinking: the silver medalist often thinks, "Oh, I couldn't win the gold medal," while the bronze medalist thinks, "At least I got a medal!" The silver medal is won after losing (near miss), but the bronze medal is won after Winning (close call)—hence, the contrasting emotional responses.

Reflecting on this, I was reminded of my own experiences. I attended a government municipal high school where the competitive environment was not as intense as today. We were more relaxed and didn’t worry much about rankings. However, my parents were teachers at the same school, so I felt some competition. I ranked first in my 6th, 7th, and 10th grades, but in the 8th grade, I came in second. After reading the message about counterfactual thinking, I realized I had felt a small sting from securing second place back then. Yet, I wasn't too concerned in the 9th grade when I ranked fourth. That Freefall (slipping from 1^st to 2^nd to 4^th) of ranks led to a free fall of worry, and then that process helped me refocus and excel again in the 10th grade. Of course, after that, I didn’t chase or ever receive gold, silver, or bronze but instead maintained my own pace—call it steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, or what have you!!!

I have spoken to many JEE rankers over the years and noticed a similar pattern of counterfactual thinking among them. Those in the 99.9+ percentile are generally happy because they’ve secured spots in their preferred Tier 1 institutions. However, students scoring in the 95-98 percentile are often less content because they missed out on their dream seats, despite still being in Tier 1 institutions. Interestingly, those in the 80-90 percentile range often feel better than those above, as they are happy with a decent college and branch, even if it's at a Tier 2 institution.

This dynamic applies to life situations as well. I’m sure we have all experienced something similar. Some of us may show it openly; others may accept it quietly, while others detach themselves from the situation. Research also suggests that collective groups receiving silver medals respond more positively than individuals in similar situations.

Though I’m not claiming to be an expert or mature enough, I believe this research can help us manage such situations more effectively.

Counterfactual Thinking: Why near misses leave us discontent while close calls fill us with relief—and how this psychological insight applies to education and life."

Note: These are my personal views

Ravi Saripalle