Recall Medvec and her colleagues' (1995) study of the emotions experienced by Olympic athletes who won bronze and silver medals. If silver medalists outperformed bronze medalists, why were they less happy?

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According to Medvec et al. (1995), silver medalists were less happy than bronze medalists because they were more likely to focus on the missed opportunity to win gold, whereas bronze medalists were just happy to have won a medal at all. Silver medalists were closer to achieving their ultimate goal of winning gold, so the disappointment of falling short was more pronounced. In contrast, bronze medalists were further from achieving that goal and may have been more content with their achievement.

Recall Medvec and Her Colleagues' (1995) Study of the Emotions