Running head: COUNTERFACTUAL THINKING 1
Counterfactual Thinking and Mutability
Bryanna Caudill
Eastern Kentucky University
309W 23273
2
COUNTERFACTUAL THINKING
Counterfactual Thinking and the Effects on Emotions
Everyone has experienced counterfactual thinking at some point in their life, whether it
be about a decision that we made or a situation we were involved in. Counterfactual thinking is
the thought of “if only” that could undo or change the situation. In our class study we are
interested in how stereotypes (racial, language and immigration status) affects the mutability and
“blame” of a situation. By manipulating mutability by having a changeable situation and
unchangeable situation and also have a stereotype of English and no English, we will be able to
determine the amount of “blame” that is placed on the taxi driver based on stereotypes. In the
changeable scenarios there is one with Joe and one with Jose, this same structure applies to the
unchangeable situations as well. Our purpose is to see if an interaction between stereotypes
