结果的接近性和不同等级分界线对反事实思维的影响

How Closeness of Results and Categorical Cutoff Points Induce Counterfactual Thinking and Influence Individuals' Satisfaction

反事实思维是个体对不真实的条件或可能性进行替换的一种思维过程。它是在心理上对已经发生的事件进行否定,然后表征原本可能发生但现实并未发生的心理活动。本文以170名大学生为被试,采用情境模拟技术,研究结果的接近性和不同等级的分界线对反事实思维及满意度的影响。实验一表明,结果接近分界点较结果远离分界点时,被试产生的下行反事实思维要多。当结果的效价为成功时,更易引发反事实思维。实验二发现上行反事实思维随成功的等级变化而呈整体上升趋势,个体对结果的满意度随成绩的增加而上升。

Counterfactual thinking can be influenced by many factors. 170 undergraduates participated in the scenario-based experiments. This research focused on how closeness of results and categorical cutoff points induced counterfactual thoughts and influenced individuals＇ satisfaction. The outcome of Experiment 1 demonstrated that downward counterfactual thinking could be aroused n, ore when the result was close to the boundary. And positive events would induce more counterfactual thinking. In Experiment 2, qualitative boundaries, categorical cutoff points were imposed on quantitative outcomes, and it was found that the higher the score was, the more upward counterfactual thinking was elicited. And the relationship between objective outcomes and satisfaction was asymmetry.