Abstract
Counterfactual thinking (CT) is the process of mentally undoing the outcome of an event by imagining alternate antecedent states. This research distinguishes between two types of CT: positive CT, which involves undoing the absence of previous positive outcomes, and negative CT, which involves undoing the presence of previous negative outcomes. Three experiments demonstrate that engaging in positive CT makes an individual's promotional goals (those related to attaining positive outcomes, such as accomplishments) more accessible relative to preventional goals (those related to avoiding negative outcomes, such as mistakes), whereas engaging in negative CT leads to a reversed effect. Furthermore, the type of CT (positive versus negative) induced prior to ad exposure influences the relative persuasiveness of promotion- versus prevention-focused ad appeals.
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