Multiple Developments in Counterfactual Thinking

Beck, Sarah R.; Riggs, Kevin J.; Burns, Patrick

Abstract

Mapping the development of children's counterfactual thinking should allow insight in to this process in adults and its relation with causal understanding. We argue that there is not one critical development that should be thought of as marking children's ability to engage in counterfactual thought. Rather there is a sequence of (at least) four developments that takes place from early to middle childhood. Three-year-olds can generate alternative future worlds, but it is not until children are around 4 that they can speculate about known to be false counterfactuals. Later developments involve representing these counterfactuals as possibilities that could have occurred and relating the counterfactual and real worlds. We consider whether domain general developments in executive function might underpin these developments.

Citation

Beck, S. R., Riggs, K. J., & Burns, P. (2011). Multiple Developments in Counterfactual Thinking. In C. Hoerl, T. McCormack, & S. R. Beck (Eds.), Understanding Counterfactuals, Understanding Causation: Issues in Philosophy and Psychology (110-122). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780199590698.003.0006

• Online Publication Date: Jan 19, 2012
• Publication Date: 2011
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2022
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Pages: 110-122
• Series Title: Consciousness and Self-Consciousness
• Book Title: Understanding Counterfactuals, Understanding Causation: Issues in Philosophy and Psychology
• Chapter Number: 5
• ISBN: 9780199590698; 9780199695133
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780199590698.003.0006
• Keywords: Possibilities; Executive function; Imagination; Cognitive development
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3621416