Overview

People have a penchant for thinking about how things that matter to them might have turned out differently -- either for the better or for the worse. For the past two decades psychologists have been intrigued by this phenomenon, which they call counterfactual thinking. Specifically, researchers have sought to answer the 'big' questions: Why do people have such a strong propensity to generate counterfactuals, and what functions does counterfactual thinking serve? What are the determinants of counterfactual thinking, and what are its adaptive and psychological consequences? This important work"" ""brings together a collection of thought-provoking papers by social and cognitive psychologists who have made important theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of this topic. The essays in this volume contain novel theoretical insights, and, in many cases descriptions of previously unpublished empirical studies. ""The Psychology of Counterfactual Thinking"" provides an excellent overview of this fascinating topic for researchers, as well as advanced undergraduates and graduates in psychology - particularly those with an interest in social cognition, social judgement, decision making, thinking and reasoning.

Full Product Details

Author:   David R. Mandel (Defence Research and Development, Toronto, Canada) ,  Denis J. Hilton (University of Toulouse, France) ,  Patrizia Catellani (Catholic University of Milan, Italy)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.540kg
ISBN:  

9780415322416

ISBN 10:   0415322413
Pages:   264
Publication Date:   28 July 2005
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Part 1: Counterfactuals, Causality and Mental Representation. Counterfactual and Causal Explanation: From Early Theoretical Views to New Frontiers D.R. Mandel. The Relation between Counterfactual and Causal Reasoning B.A. Spellman, A.P. Kincannon and S.J. Stose. The Course of Events: Counterfactuals, Causal Sequences and Explanation D.J. Hilton, J.L. McClure and B.R. Slugoski. The Mental Representation of What Might Have Been C.R. Walsh and R.M. J. Bryne Part 2: Functional Bases of Counterfactual Thinking. Reflective and Evaluative Modes of Mental Simulation K.D. Markman and M.N. McMullen. Scenario Simulations in Learning: Forms and Functions at the Individual and Organizational Levels S. Segura and M.W. Morris. Finding Meaning from Mutability: Making Sense and Deriving Significance through Counterfactual Thinking. A.D. Galinsky, K.A. Liljenquist, L.L. Kray and N.J. Roese Part 3: Counterfactual Thinking and Emotion. When a Small Difference Makes a Big Difference: Counterfactual Thinking and Luck K.H. Teigen. On the Comparative Nature of Regret. M. Zeelenberg and E. van Dijk Part 4: Counterfactual Thinking in the Context of Crime, Justice and Political History. Escape from Reality: Prisoners’ Counterfactual Thinking about Crime, Justice, and Punishment M.K. Dhami, D.R. Mandel and K.A. Souza. When the Social Context Frames the Case: Counterfactuals in the Courtroom P. Catellani and P. Milesi. Theory- versus Imagination-Driven Thinking about Historical Counterfactuals: Are We Prisoners of Our Preconceptions? P.E. Tetlock and E. Henik.

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Author Information

Defence Research and Development, Toronto, Canada University of Toulouse, France Catholic University of Milan, Italy

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