Counterfactual Reasoning
Participant is told a story and asked 'what if X had happened instead?' (counterfactual) or 'what if X happens next time?' (future hypothetical). Measures the ability to represent multiple alternative possibilities, a developmental milestone emerging between ages 3 and 6.
- Reasoning
- Developmental
Indexed implementations 2
Metadata only — each row links to the authors' own page. A date in the last column is the last time an automated check confirmed the link loads; it is not a review of the task.
| Implementation | Source | Languages | Link checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's reasoning about exceptional events · Children Helping Science | Children Helping Science | English | 2026-05-18 |
| Thinking about preferences and rules · Children Helping Science | Children Helping Science | English | 2026-05-18 |
Key references
- Beck, S. R., Robinson, E. J., Carroll, D. J., & Apperly, I. A. (2006). Children's thinking about counterfactuals and future hypotheticals as possibilities. Child Development, 77(2), 413-426. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00879.x