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SUMMARY:Thinking about what might have been: the development of children's
  counterfactual thinking - Sarah Beck Reader in Cognitive Development\, Un
 iversity of Birmingham
DTSTART:20170511T153000Z
DTEND:20170511T170000Z
UID:TALK72064@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Araceli Hopkins
DESCRIPTION:Adults often think about 'what might have been' and experience
  counterfactual emotions\, most commonly regret\, as a result of this. In 
 this talk I will present data that suggests that counterfactual thinking h
 as a protracted development in childhood and (in part) relies on developme
 nt of executive functions. Among the many types of imaginative thought\, c
 ounterfactual thinking is special in the relation it holds with reality. W
 hen speculating about what might have been\, individuals must avoid dwelli
 ng on the real world and yet also generate closely matched alternatives th
 at are relevant to real experiences and choices. I will review data sugges
 ting that managing this relation makes specific cognitive demands in devel
 opment\, which may or may not persist in the adult system. I will also exp
 lore whether children\, like adults\, spontaneously infer aspects of the r
 eal world on hearing counterfactuals. \n\nProfile:\nSarah's research inter
 ests are in children's imaginative thinking. Her experimental work with ty
 pically developing children aged 3-10 explores children's understanding of
  time and problem-solving. She completed her UG degree in Psychology and P
 hilosophy at the University of Oxford\, moved to the University of Birming
 ham to complete her PhD on metacognition\, and has remained at Birmingham 
 as a member of Faculty since 2003. She was awarded the Margaret Donaldson 
 Early Career prize by the British Psychological Society Developmental Sect
 ion in 2011.
LOCATION:Faculty of Education\, 184 Hills Road\, Cambridge\, CB2 8PQ\, (ro
 om GS5  Donald McIntyre Building)
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