ABSTRACT

Counterfactual.thinking-the.capacity.to.reflect.on.what.would,.could,.or.should.have.been.if.events. had.transpired.differently-is.a.pervasive,.yet.seemingly.paradoxical.human.tendency..On.the.one. hand,.counterfactual.thoughts.can.be.comforting.and.inspiring.(Carroll.&.Shepperd,.Chapter.28),. but.on.the.other.they.can.be.anxiety.provoking.and.depressing.(Zeelenberg.&.Pieters,.Chapter.27).. Likewise,.such.thoughts.can.illuminate.pathways.toward.better.future.outcomes.(Wong,.Galinsky,. &.Kray,.Chapter.11),.yet.they.can.also.promote.confusion.and.lead.us.astray.(Sanna,.Schwarz,.&. Kennedy,.Chapter.13)..The.first.part.of.this.chapter.focuses.on.work.that.supports.the.prevailing. zeitgeist.in.the.counterfactual.thinking.literature:.Counterfactual.thinking.is.beneficial..The.second. part.of.the.chapter,.however,.strikes.a.more.cautionary.tone.by.reviewing.work.that.describes.some. deleterious.consequences.of.counterfactual.thinking..We.conclude.by.offering.a.tentative.reconciliation.of.these.conflicting.perspectives.and.suggesting.directions.for.future.research.