"If only I had" versus "If only I had not": Mental deletions, mental additions, and perceptions of meaning in life events

Abstract

The present research investigated the relationship between meaning perceptions and the structure of counterfactual thoughts. In Study 1, participants reflected on how turning points in their lives could have turned out otherwise. Those who were instructed to engage in subtractive (e.g. If only I had not done X horizontal ellipsis ") counterfactual thinking (SCT) about those turning points subsequently reported higher meaning perceptions than did those who engaged in additive (e.g. 'If only I had done X horizontal ellipsis ') counterfactual thinking (ACT). In Study 2, participants who reflected upon life events from the perspective of understanding the past (versus preparing for the future) tended to engage in more SCT than ACT. Finally, in Study 3, participants engaged in more SCT than ACT about life events whose meaning was perceived as certain (as opposed to uncertain) - presumably to maintain their pre-existing sense of meaning. Implications for the study of counterfactual thinking and meaning are discussed.