Counterfactual thinking: what is it and how is it expressed?

What does counterfactual thinking consist of and what personality traits is it associated with?

Do you know what counterfactual thinking is and what do you know about prefactual thinking? On the one hand both concepts are related, and on the other hand they are actions that are intimately related to our personality.

Counterfactual thinking consists of the mental simulation of different alternatives that could have been given in the past and finally were not, while prefactual thinking is the simulation of potential alternatives to a situation in the future.

What is counterfactual thinking?

As we have already introduced, counterfactual thinking consists of the mental simulation of different alternatives that could have occurred in the past, but which in the end did not take place. For example, imagining the places where you could have worked in the art world, which was your passion, if you had not chosen to go into finance.

We have mentioned that, by contrast, pre-factual thinking consists of the mental simulation of potential alternatives to the same situation, but which have not taken place.. For example, going to an anniversary party with your family and imagining all the possible scenarios in terms of guests coming or not, food, gifts, etc.

In this article we are going to talk about the characteristics surrounding counterfactual thinking, prefactual thinking, and finally a little about its relationship with the different personality traits that can be developed by the human being.

Counterfactual thinking, prefactual thinking and personality

It is logical to think that the type of thoughts we develop most frequently in our head may depend on the type of personality we have. In turn, these thoughts can generate a series of emotions and sensations in us.

In the article Looking Behind and Looking Ahead: Personality Differences in Counterfactual and Prefactual Thinking recently published in the journal Imagination, Cognition and Personality, discusses the relationship of these two types of the relationship between these two types of thinking and personality traits, and what emotions can be generated by them.and what emotions can be generated from these thoughts.

The article puts counterfactual thinking and prefactual thinking in the context of the different parameters or personality traits, the so-called "Big Five Personality traits".

The Big Five personality traits

The Big Five personality traits, commonly known as Big Five Personality traits, are the five elements or personality traits from which personality itself is studied.

This Big Five concept was postulated by the British psychologist Raymond Bernard Cattell (England, March 20, 1905 - USA, February 2, 1998), whose work focused on the study of intelligence and personality.

These traits are also known as the 'dimensions' of personality. These five factors are the following: factor O (linked to the capacity for openness to new experiences), factor C (linked to responsibility), factor E (referring to extroversion), factor A (in terms of agreeableness) and finally factor N (related to neuroticism or emotional instability). If we put all the factors together, we obtain the acronym "OCEAN".

On the other hand, these traits are not pure, but in turn, each of them is made up of a set of more specific personality traits..

For example, factor A (related to kindness), in itself includes respectfulness, tolerance and calmness, factor C (related to a sense of responsibility), in turn constitutes discipline, organization, and the ability to concentrate, and factor N (related to neuroticism and emotional instability) includes characteristics of obsession, insecurity, anxiety, restlessness, among others.

How do these types of thinking relate to personality?

Thus, the article in the journal Imagination, Cognition and Personality, highlights the relationship between counterfactual thinking and prefactual thinking, and the five personality traits, and shows how people differ in the way they think depending on which personality traits they have more exacerbated.

The study showed that counterfactual thinking is more frequent in people with a high degree of neuroticism (factor N) and low agreeableness (factor A). (factor A).

That is, these more sociable people have a greater tendency to imagine the possibilities of things that could have happened and yet did not happen. In addition, these people tend to be people who focus their attention on avoiding possible threats, so they analyze past situations a lot.

In contrast, the study has shown that pre-factual thinking is more frequent in people with a less neurotic tendency, greater agreeableness and greater extroversion.

In other words, people who are less neurotic and more socially adept, tend to think more about potential alternatives to future situations that have yet to happen..

Relevant data

In addition, it has been shown that regret for past actions can give rise to what have been termed hot emotions, which are emotions of anger, frustration and shame.

Interestingly, it has also been shown that those people with a greater tendency to people with a greater tendency to lie tend to generate more counterfactual thoughts.. This is because some forms of lying require the imagination of alternatives to past events.

This information supports the idea that negative emotions are closely related to 'living' in the past and not moving forward and positive emotions are more linked to the future (future goals, dreams, potential options...).

Personality linked to thinking

We have seen how counterfactual thinking is related to personality, and by extension, how personality (which encompasses emotions, feelings, abilities, skills, limitations, character, etc.) is closely linked to the type of thinking we develop.

This thinking can be more focused on the past and obsolete possibilities, or it can be more focused on the future and its potential alternatives.

In any case, it should not be forgotten that personality is not a solid and pure plank, but rather a ladder of nuances where we can possess a ladder of nuances where we can possess different traits in different amounts, and that therefore, everyone throughout life, we will have counterfactual thinking type ideas and we will have prefactual thinking type ideas.

Bibliographical references:

• Bacon, A.M., Clare R. Walsh, Raluca A. Briazu (2020). Looking Behind and Looking Ahead: Personality Differences in Counterfactual and Prefactual Thinking. Imagination, Cognition and Personality journal. USA.
• Bacon, A. M., Clare R. Walsh., Martin, L. (2013). Fantasy proneness and counterfactual thinking. Personality & Individual Differences (Journal). Elsevier.
• Boele de Raad (2000). The Big Five Personality Factors: The Psycholexical Approach to Personality. Hogrefe and Huber Publishers. Toronto.
• Charles G. Morris, Albert A. Maisto (2001). Introducción a la psicología. Pearson Educación, Décima Edición.