ABSTRACT
One.of.the.extraordinary.achievements.of.human.cognition.is.that.people.are.able.to.consider.and. reason.about.facts,.as.they.remember.or.understand.them,.and.they.are.also.able.to.consider.and. reason.about.hypothetical.possibilities..The.ability.to.think.hypothetically.is.fundamental.to.reasoning.and.decision.making..People.often.think.about.hypothetical.alternative.possibilities.when. they.imagine.the.future,.such.as,.“If.I.arrange.a.reasonable.mortgage,.I.could.buy.a.small.apartment. in.the.center.of.the.city.”.These.thoughts.about.future.alternatives.may.assist.people.in.planning. and.predicting..But,.people.also.tend.to.think.about.hypothetical.alternative.possibilities.when.they. remember.the.past,.such.as,.“If.I.had.bought.property.before.prices.increased,.I.would.have.been. able. to.afford.a. larger.house.”.These.counterfactual.alternatives.may.help. them.to.work.out. the. causes.of.outcomes.(e.g.,.Roese.&.Olson,.1995)..Thinking.about.counterfactual.alternatives.may. also.help.people.to.prepare.for.the.future.by.informing.them.about.how.to.prevent.bad.outcomes. (McMullen.&.Markman,.2002;.Roese,.1997;.in.this.volume,.see.also.Markman,.Karadogan,.Lindberg,.&.Zell,.Chapter.12).
