You stayed up all night cramming for this examination and didn't do as well as you had hoped. "If only I had started studying sooner and gotten a good night's rest, I'd have done much better," you think to yourself. You have just engaged in __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes counterfactual thinking, which involves imagining different outcomes of past events and considering how things might have turned out differently. The person is imagining a different outcome (doing better on the exam) and considering the alternative actions they could have taken (starting to study earlier and getting a good night's rest). Self-justification involves rationalizing or defending one's own actions or decisions, and wish fulfillment and unrealistic fantasy both involve imagining positive outcomes without a basis in reality.

You Stayed Up All Night Cramming for This Examination and Didn't