Counterfactuals as behavioral primes: Priming the simulation heuristic andconsideration of alternatives

Citation
Ad. Galinsky et Gb. Moskowitz, Counterfactuals as behavioral primes: Priming the simulation heuristic andconsideration of alternatives, J EXP S PSY, 36(4), 2000, pp. 384-409
Citations number
64
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
ISSN journal
00221031 → ACNP
Volume
36
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
384 - 409
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-1031(200007)36:4<384:CABPPT>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
We demonstrate that counterfactuals prime a mental simulation mind-set in w hich relevant but potentially converse alternatives are considered and that this mind-set activation has behavioral consequences. This mind-set is clo sely related to the simulation heuristic (Kahneman SZ Tversky, 1982). Parti cipants primed with a counterfactual were more likely to solve the Duncker candle problem (Experiment 1), suggesting that they noticed an alternative function for one of the objects, an awareness that is critical to solving t he problem. Participants primed with a counterfactual were more likely to s imultaneously affirm the consequent and select the potentially falsifying c ard, but without selecting the irrelevant card, in the Wason card selection task, suggesting that they were testing both the stated conditional and it s reverse (Experiment 2). The increased affirmations of the consequent decr eased correct solutions on the task-thus, the primed mind-set can bias or d ebias thought and action. Finally, Experiment 3 provides further evidence t hat counterfactual primes increase the accessibility of relevant alternativ es. Counterfactual primes attenuated the confirmation bias in a trait hypot hesis testing context by increasing the selection of questions designed to elicit hypothesis-disconfirming answers, but without increasing the selecti on of neutral questions. The nature of priming effects and the role of coun terfactual thinking in biasing and debiasing thought and action are discuss ed. (C) 2000 Academic Press.