'If only counterfactuals and the exceptionality effect'
Citation:
'If only counterfactuals and the exceptionality effect', N.A. Taatgen & H. van Rijn, Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Austin, TX , Erlbaum, 2009, 2860 - 2865, Dixon, J. & Byrne, R.M.J.Download Item:
Abstract:
People create counterfactual `if only? alternatives that change
exceptional actions to be normal (e.g., `if only he had placed
his usual small bet he would have lost less money?). Two
experiments show that this effect is reversed when an
exceptional alternative leads to a better outcome. Experiment
1 demonstrated the standard effect: an exceptional action that
leads to a bad outcome is changed to a usual one when an
exceptional alternative does not lead to a better outcome.
Experiment 2 reversed the effect: an exceptional action that
leads to a good outcome is changed to an exceptional
alternative when the alternative might have led to an even
better outcome. Both experiments also show that participants
construct different counterfactual thoughts when they think
not only about the outcome but also about the decision the
actor makes. The implications for theories of the
counterfactual imagination are discussed.
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/rmbyrneDescription:
PUBLISHEDAustin, TX
Author: BYRNE, RUTH MARY JOSEPHINE
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Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science SocietyPublisher:
ErlbaumType of material:
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Counterfactual thinking, the exceptionality effectMetadata
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