Counterfactual thinking is a concept in psychology that involves the human tendency to create possible alternatives to life events that have already occurred; something that is contrary to what actually …

Jan 18, 2019 · Counterfactuals are conditionals concerning hypothetical possibilities. What if Martin Luther King had died when he was stabbed in 1958 (Byrne 2005: 1)? What if the Americas had never …

The meaning of COUNTERFACTUAL is contrary to fact. How to use counterfactual in a sentence.

Dec 16, 2025 · There are two types of counterfactual thinking: upward and downward. It's easy to get stuck in thinking about a past we can't change, which can distract us from the present. In psychology, …

Thoughts about how an embarrassing event might have turned out differently are known to psychologists as counterfactual thinking. One approach is to consider a counterfactual: what if the …

Sep 21, 2023 · Counterfactual thinking refers to the cognitive process of imagining alternatives to events or situations that have transpired. It can be beneficial in some limited circumstances, such as when …

Sep 23, 2025 · This imaginative process is known as counterfactual thinking, because the thoughts entertained are contrary-to-fact, or counterfactual. Far from being confined to mere fantastic …

Dec 9, 2025 · Counterfactual thinking, which involves imagining alternative outcomes to past events and considering how things might have been different under various circumstances, is a common …

Definition of counterfactual noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Counterfactual reasoning means thinking about alternative possibilities for past or future events: what might happen/ have happened if…? In other words, you imagine the consequences of something …