What is the functional theory of counterfactual thinking?

The functional theory of counterfactual thinking aims to answer these and other questions by drawing connections to goal cognition and by specifying distinct functions that counterfactuals may serve, including preparing for goal pursuit and regulating affect.Click to see full answer. Also know, what is an example of counterfactual thinking?Psychological Consequences of Counterfactual Thinking. Counterfactual thoughts spell out what people think caused an outcome. For example, the thought “If I had not eaten so many potato chips, I wouldn’t feel ill right now” implies eating too many potato chips caused the person to feel sick. why is counterfactual thinking important? Counterfactual thoughts can also increase how much control people think they have over events. When people believe an outcome would have been possible if only they had acted a certain way, events seem more under their personal control. Counterfactual thinking is an essential component of effective social functioning. Similarly, you may ask, what is counterfactual theory? 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 happened. Counterfactual thinking is, as it states: “counter to the facts”.What is upward counterfactual thinking?An upward counterfactual (as opposed to a downward counterfactual) is generated when people imagine better (rather than worse) alternative states, such as having made the right choices, successfully avoiding a tragedy, or achieving a better version of oneself (Epstude and Roese, 2008, Markman and McMullen, 2003).