ABSTRACT
That counterfactuals "stink of the past" is perhaps the most well documented finding of prior research on counterfactual thinking. Thoughts about what might have been persist after an event and influence individuals' affective responses and judgments (see Roese & Olson, chapter 1). Findings from other research, including our own, however, indicate that counterfactuals can also "smell of the future" in their influence on affective responses, attitudes, and behavior. In other words, individuals' concerns and thoughts about their future prospects might shape the nature and implications of their counterfactual thoughts.
