Development of counterfactual thinking: Approaching from the domain of event and the causal chain

• Project/Area Number: 24730550
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMICHI Keito 静岡大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (70454303)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
• Keywords: 幼児 / 発達 / 反事実的思考 / 反実推論 / 因果推論 / 領域特殊 / 認知発達 / 反事実 / 推論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Counterfactual thinking is “the ability to consider alternatives to what we know has happened.” Four studies examined the development of counterfactual thinking.
Study 1 showed that young children’s counterfactual thinking is positively related to the ability of pretense. Study 2 and 3 examined the influence of the task structure (causal chain) on young children’s counterfactual thinking. The results showed that (regardless of the task structures) younger than 5-years-olds could think about counterfactual in psychological domain, but even 5-years-olds had the difficulty with counterfactual thinking in physical domain. Study 4 showed the possibility that this difficulty was caused by the variability of physical events.
These results suggested the development of young children’s counterfactual thinking differently depending on the domain of events.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 感情の変化に関する子どもの反事実的思考-Nearest Possible World課題を用いての検討- (2015)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 静岡大学教育学部研究報告（人文・社会・自然科学篇） Volume: 65 Pages: 89-100
  • NAID: 110009966580
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] 幼児における反事実的思考とふり能力の関連 (2014)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Journal Title: 静岡大学教育学部研究報告（人文・社会・自然科学篇） Volume: 64 Pages: 101-111
  • NAID: 110009804010
• [Presentation] Differences in young children's counterfactual thinking in physical and psychological domains. (2015)
  • Author(s): Nakamichi, K.
  • Organizer: 2015 SRCD Biennial Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Philadelphia, USA
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-19
• [Presentation] 幼児における物理領域・心理領域での反事実的思考-semi-factualな構造の課題を用いての検討- (2014)
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第78回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 同志社大学（京都府・京都市）
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-10
• [Presentation] 子どもの反事実的思考の領域による違い：Ragetseder, Cristi-Vargas, & Perner（2010）の課題構造を用いての検討
  • Author(s): 中道圭人
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第77回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 札幌コンベンションセンター（北海道・札幌市）
• [Presentation] Young children's counterfactual reasoning about physical, psychological, and biological domain.
  • Author(s): Keito Nakamichi
  • Organizer: 2013 SRCD Biennial Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Seattle, Washington, USA