Published

2018-07-01

Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature

Cogniciones sobre Eventos Pasados: una Revisión de Literatura

Cognições sobre Eventos Passados: uma Revisão da Literatura

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585

Keywords:

imagination, counterfactual thinking, cognitive processes, scientific production, review of literature (en)
imaginación, pensamiento contrafactual, procesos cognitivos, producción científica, revisión de literatura (es)
imaginação, pensamento contrafactual, processos cognitivos, produção científica, revisão da literatura (pt)

Authors

  • Florença Lucia Coelho Justino Universidade Federal de São Carlos
  • Patrícia Waltz Schelini Universidade Federal de São Carlos

The objective of this study was to compile and synthesize the results of numerous articles regarding counterfactual thinking, published between 2005 and 2015. 99 articles that included the term "counterfactual thinking" in the keywords were obtained from the PsycInfo, Web of Science, and SciELO databases. The article discusses the numerous publications and related areas, emphasizing the role of counterfactual thinking in the different aspects of neurological, psychological, and social processes.

 

How to cite this article:

Justino, F., & Schelini, P. (2018). Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 27(2), 103 - 116. doi:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585

 

El presente estudio tuvo como fin reunir y sintetizar resultados de múltiples artículos del área del pensamiento contrafactual, entre los años 2005 y 2015. Se obtuvieron 99 artículos en las bases de datos PsycInfo, Web of Science y SciELO, con la palabra clave “pensamiento contrafactual” y su correspondiente en lengua inglesa counterfactual thinking. La multiplicidad de publicaciones y áreas relacionadas se discuten haciendo énfasis en el rol del pensamiento contrafactual en distintas vertientes de procesos neurológicos, psicológicos y sociales.

 

Cómo citar este artículo:

Justino, F., & Schelini, P. (2018). Cogniciones sobre Eventos Pasados: una Revisión de Literatura. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 27(2), 103 - 116. doi:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585

 

O presente estudo teve como objetivo reunir e sintetizar resultados de múltiplos artigos da área do pensamento contrafactual, no que se refere aos anos de 2005 a 2015. Foram obtidos 99 artigos nas bases de dados PsycInfo, Web of Science e SciELO, a partir da palavra-chave pensamento contrafactual e do seu correspondente em língua inglesa counterfactual thinking. A multiplicidade de publicações e áreas relacionadas é discutida dando ênfase ao papel do pensamento contrafactual em diferentes vertentes de processos neurológicos, psicológicos e sociais. Cómo citar este artigo: Justino, F., & Schelini, P. (2018). Cognições sobre Eventos Passados: uma Revisão da Literatura. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 27(2), 103 - 116. doi:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585

References

Andersson, S. I., & Hovelius, B. (2006). Counterfactual (“if only”) thinking in women with chronic widespread pain. Stress and Health, 22(2), 121–129. http://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1086

Barliba, R. G., & Dafinoiu, I. (2015). The Hindsight Bias Effect and Counterfactual Thinking: Clinical Predictors. Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 15(1), 121–133.

Beck, S. R., & Crilly, M. (2009). Is understanding regret dependent on developments in counterfactual thinking? British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 27(2), 505–510. http://doi.org/10.1348/026151008X401697

Beck, S. R., Riggs, K. J., & Gorniak, S. L. (2009). Relating developments in children’s counterfactual thinking and executive functions. Thinking & Reasoning, 15(4), 337–354. http://doi.org/10.1080/13546780903135904

Beck, S. R., Robinson, E. J., Carroll, D. J., & Apperly, I. A. (2006). Children’s Thinking About Counterfactuals and Future Hypotheticals as Possibilities. Child Development, 77(2), 413–426. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00879.x

Beck, S. R., & Guthrie, C. (2011). Almost Thinking Counterfactually: Children’s Understanding of Close Counterfactuals. Child Development, 82(4), 1189–1198. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01590.x

Beck, S. R., Carroll, D. J., Brunsdon, V. E. A., & Gryg, C. K. (2011). Supporting children’s counterfactual thinking with alternative modes of responding. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108(1), 190–202. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2010.07.009

Beck, S. R., Weisberg, D. P., Burns, P., & Riggs, K. J. (2014). Conditional Reasoning and Emotional Experience: A Review of the Development of Counterfactual Thinking. Studia Logica, 102(4), 673–689. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11225-013-9508-1

Byrne, R.M.J.(1997). Cognitive processes in counterfactual thinking about what might have been. In: Medin, D.L. (Ed.) The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research and theory. pp. 105-154. Academic Press; CA: San Diego.

Byrne, R.M.J. (2002). Mental models and counterfactual thoughts about what might have been. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 6, 426-431.

Byrne, R.M.J. (2005). The Rational Imagination: How People Create Alternatives to Reality. Cambridge, M.A: MIT Press.

Byrne, R. M. J. (2016). Counterfactual Thought. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 135–157. http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033249

Byrne, R. M. J., & Quelhas A. C. (1999). Raciocínio contrafactual e modelos mentais. Análise Psicológica, 17 (4) 713-721.

Byrne, R.M.J. & McEleney, A. (2000) Counterfactual thinking about actions and failures to act. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 26, pp. 1318-1331.

Byrne, R.M. & Girotto, V. (2009). Cognitive Processes in Counterfactual Thinking. In: Markman, K.D., Klein, W.M.P., Suhr, J.A. (org). Handbook of imagination and mental simulation. pp. 151-160. New York: Psychology Press.

Callander, G., Brown, G. P., Tata, P., & Regan, L. (2007). Counterfactual thinking and psychological distress following recurrent miscarriage. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 25(1), 51–65. http://doi.org/10.1080/02646830601117241

De Brigard, F., & Hanna, E. (2015). Clinical applications of counterfactual thinking during memory reactivation. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 38, e5. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X14000351

De Brigard, F., Addis, D. R., Ford, J. H., Schacter, D. L., & Giovanello, K. S. (2013). Remembering what could have happened: Neural correlates of episodic counterfactual thinking. Neuropsychologia, 51(12), 2401–2414. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.01.015

Del Valle, C. H. C., & Mateos, P. M. (2008). Dispositional pessimism, defensive pessimism and optimism: The effect of induced mood on prefactual and counterfactual thinking and performance. Cognition & Emotion, 22(8), 1600–1612. http://doi.org/10.1080/02699930801940289

El Leithy, S., Brown, G. P., & Robbins, I. (2006). Counterfactual thinking and posttraumatic stress reactions. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115(3), 629–635. http://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.115.3.629

Epstude, K., & Roese, N. J. (2008). The Functional Theory of Counterfactual Thinking. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 12(2), 168–192. http://doi.org/10.1177/1088868308316091

Epstude, K., & Roese, N. J. (2011). When goal pursuit fails: The functions of counterfactual thought in intention formation. Social Psychology, 42(1), 19–27. http://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000039

Epstude, K., & Jonas, K. J. (2015). Regret and Counterfactual Thinking in the Face of Inevitability: The Case of HIV-Positive Men. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6(2), 157–163. http://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614546048

Epstude, K., Scholl, A., & Roese, N. J. (2016). Prefactual thoughts: Mental simulations about what might happen. Review of General Psychology, 20(1), 48–56. http://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000064

Faccioli, J. S.; Schelini, P. W. (2014). A frequência de pensamentos contrafactuais em pessoas com e sem sinais indicativos de depressão. Boletim de Psicologia, LXIII(139), 201–216.

Faccioli, J. S., & Schelini, P. W. (2015). Styles of Counterfactual Thoughts in People with and without Signs of Depression. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 18, 1–11. http://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2015.51

Faccioli, J. S., Justino, F. L. C., & Schelini, P. W. (2015). Elaboração de técnica para avaliar o pensamento. Estudos E Pesquisas Em Psicologia, UERJ, 15(1), 196–217.

Feng, X., Gu, R., Liang, F., Broster, L. S., Liu, Y., Zhang, D., & Luo, Y. jia. (2015). Depressive states amplify both upward and downward counterfactual thinking. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 97(2), 93–98. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.04.016

Gilbar, O., Plivazky, N., & Gil, S. (2010). Counterfactual Thinking, Coping Strategies, and Coping Resources as Predictors of PTSD Diagnosed in Physically Injured Victims of Terror Attacks. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 15(4), 304–324. http://doi.org/10.1080/15325020903382350

Gomez Beldarrain, M., Garcia-Monco, J. C., Astigarraga, E., Gonzalez, A., & Grafman, J. (2005). Only spontaneous counterfactual thinking is impaired in patients with prefrontal cortex lesions. Cognitive Brain Research, 24(3), 723–726. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.03.013

Hooker, C.; Roese N. J.; Park S. (2000). Impoverished counterfactual thinking is associated with schizophrenia. Psychiatry, 63(4), 326-335.

Johnson-Laird, P. N., & Byrne, R. M. J. (1991). Deduction. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Juhos, C; Quelhas, A. C., & Senos, J. (2003). Pensamento contrafactual na depressão. Psychologica, 32 (1), 199 - 215.

Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1982). The simulation heuristic. In: Kahneman, D.; Slovic, E.; Tversky, A., (Ed.) Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. pp. 201-208. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Kahneman, D., and Miller, D. T. (1986). Norm theory: comparing reality to its alternatives. Psychol. Rev. 93, 136–153. doi: 10.1037/0033-295x.93.2.136

Kasimatis, M., & Wells, G.L. (1995). Individual differences in Counterfactul Thinking. In: Roese, N.J., Olson, J.M. (org). What might have been: the social psychology of counterfactual thinking. (pp. 81- 101). New Jersey: Lawrende Erlbaum Associates.

Leicester, J. (2012). Counterfactuals , Belief , and Inquiry by Thought Experiment. The Journal of Mind and Behavior, 33(3), 195–204.

Markman, K. D., & Miller, A. K. (2006). Depression, Control, and Counterfactual Thinking: Functional for Whom? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25(2), 210–227.

http://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2006.25.2.210

Markman, K.D., Klein, W.M.P., & Suhr, J.A. (2009). Handbook of imagination and mental simulation. New York: Psychology Press.

Mitchell, M. A., Contractor, A. A., Dranger, P., & Shea, M. T. (2016). Unique relations between counterfactual thinking and DSM–5 PTSD symptom clusters. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8(3), 293–300. http://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000089

Monforton, J., Vickers, K., & Antony, M. M. (2012). “If Only I Didn’t Embarrass Myself in Front of the Class!”: Social Anxiety and Upward Counterfactual Thinking. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 31(3), 312–328. http://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2012.31.3.312

Quelhas, A. C., Power, M. J., Juhos, C., & Senos, J. (2008). Counterfactual thinking and functional differences in depression. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 15(5), 352–365. http://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.593

Riggs, K. J., & Beck, S. R. (2007). Thinking developmentally about counterfactual possibilities. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 30(5-6), 439–476. http://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X07002695

Roese, N. J. (1994). The functional basis of couterfactual thinking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66 (5), 805-818.

Roese, N. J. (1997). Couterfactual thinking. Psychological Bulletin, 121(1), 133-148.

Roese, N. J., & Morrison, M. (2009). The Psychology of Counterfactual Thinking. Historical Social Research, 34(2), 16-26. http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203963784

Roese, N. J., Park, S., Smallman, R., & Gibson, C. (2008). Schizophrenia involves impairment in the activation of intentions by counterfactual thinking. Schizophrenia Research, 103(1-3), 343–344. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2007.05.006

Rye, M. S., Cahoon, M. B., Ali, R. S., & Daftary, T. (2008). Development and Validation of the Counterfactual Thinking for Negative Events Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90(3), 261–269. http://doi.org/10.1080/00223890701884996

Sirois, F. M., Monforton, J., & Simpson, M. (2010). “If Only I Had Done Better”: Perfectionism and the Functionality of Counterfactual Thinking. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(12), 1675–1692. http://doi.org/10.1177/0146167210387614

Taylor, M. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of the Development of Imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.

Teigen, K. H., & Jensen, T. K. (2011). Unlucky victims or lucky survivors?: Spontaneous counterfactual thinking by families exposed to the tsunami disaster. European Psychologist, 16(1), 48–57. http://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000033

Van Hoeck, N. (2015). Cognitive neuroscience of human counterfactual reasoning. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, 1–18. http://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00420

How to Cite

APA

Justino, F. L. C. & Schelini, P. W. (2018). Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 27(2), 103–116. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585

ACM

[1]
Justino, F.L.C. and Schelini, P.W. 2018. Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature. Revista Colombiana de Psicología. 27, 2 (Jul. 2018), 103–116. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585.

ACS

(1)
Justino, F. L. C.; Schelini, P. W. Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature. Rev. colomb. psicol. 2018, 27, 103-116.

ABNT

JUSTINO, F. L. C.; SCHELINI, P. W. Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, [S. l.], v. 27, n. 2, p. 103–116, 2018. DOI: 10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/65585. Acesso em: 6 mar. 2026.

Chicago

Justino, Florença Lucia Coelho, and Patrícia Waltz Schelini. 2018. “Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature”. Revista Colombiana De Psicología 27 (2):103-16. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585.

Harvard

Justino, F. L. C. and Schelini, P. W. (2018) “Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature”, Revista Colombiana de Psicología, 27(2), pp. 103–116. doi: 10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585.

IEEE

[1]
F. L. C. Justino and P. W. Schelini, “Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature”, Rev. colomb. psicol., vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 103–116, Jul. 2018.

MLA

Justino, F. L. C., and P. W. Schelini. “Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología, vol. 27, no. 2, July 2018, pp. 103-16, doi:10.15446/rcp.v27n2.65585.

Turabian

Justino, Florença Lucia Coelho, and Patrícia Waltz Schelini. “Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature”. Revista Colombiana de Psicología 27, no. 2 (July 1, 2018): 103–116. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/65585.

Vancouver

1.
Justino FLC, Schelini PW. Cognitions of Past events: A Review of the Literature. Rev. colomb. psicol. [Internet]. 2018 Jul. 1 [cited 2026 Mar. 6];27(2):103-16. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/65585

Download Citation

CrossRef Cited-by

CrossRef citations0

Dimensions

PlumX

Article abstract page views

721

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.