"As we get older, we must choose between different options in life again and again. Once we decide on one option, the others often disappear forever. If later in life someone is unhappy with the choices they made, it is common for them to start thinking 'What if?' thoughts. One important question is: Is 'What if?' thinking harmless, or does it make people feel unhappy about the choices they made and their lives in general?"
"In the study, 'Age differences in what-if thinking from midlife onwards: Prefrontal contribution and implications for emotional health in late life', the scientists analyzed data from more than 494 German volunteers between 48 and 75 years old. The volunteers participated in a so-called sequential risk-taking task. In this task, volunteers faced eight pictures of boxes on a computer screen. Seven of the boxes contained a virtual golden coin, for which the participants got one point each if they were opened."
Data from more than 494 German volunteers aged 48 to 75 were analyzed using a sequential risk-taking task featuring eight boxes (seven containing a virtual golden coin worth one point; one containing a picture of a devil that ended the run). Participants’ counterfactual 'What if?' thinking was measured alongside emotional-health indicators. Older adults reported lower levels of depression than younger adults in the sample. Reduced frequency or intensity of 'What if?' thinking correlated with greater emotional well-being in later life. The findings link age-related reductions in counterfactual thinking with improved affective outcomes among midlife and older adults.
Read at Psychology Today
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