Behavioral finance theories explain "why" individuals exhibit behaviors that do not maximize expected utility. This study explores how projection bias, as explained by regret theory, may shape financial risk tolerance attitudes. The results suggest that gender, income, and stock market price changes, as measured by the NASDAQ, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Standard & Poor's 500 indexes, help explain risk attitudes. Risk tolerance appears to be an elastic and changeable attitude. This research expands on the work of Shefrin [2000], who reported that recent stock market price changes exert a strong influence on risk tolerance attitudes and behaviors.