ABSTRACT
Future thinking has been described as one of the most important processes within human cognition, with some researchers suggesting that it distinguishes people from other species. It is future thinking that allows people to prepare for and plan their own futures, whether explicitly or implicitly. The reliance on language for determining future thinking has some limitations, especially as these future thinking skills are developing at the same time that language is at a basic level but is quickly advancing. A different but related body of research focused on children’s thinking about the future is counterfactual thinking. Worries can typically be viewed as hypothetical thinking about the future, whereas counterfactual thinking is when future possibilities are in contradiction to what is currently happening or known. A number of different processes are working concurrently to ensure the smooth development of these social problem-solving abilities. Like many cognitive abilities executive functions appear to develop throughout childhood.
