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Beyond event valence in mental time travel? The influence of contemplating alternative outcomes on phenomenological characteristics
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DOI：10.1080/09658211.2026.2633433.png)
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Abstract
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Multiple possibilities can be constructed in mental time travel into the past or future. This study examined how considering alternative outcomes (be better/worse) influences the phenomenological characteristics of remembering and imagining, assessed through participant ratings and content analysis. College students (N = 136) reported positive and negative personal events and possible future events. Prior to reporting their selected events, participants were randomly assigned to imagine events to be better, worse, or a control condition. Contemplating any alternative outcome reduced phenomenological ratings relative to the control condition. Event valence and temporal directions continued to play important roles in phenomenological characteristics. These findings provide insights into the adaptive function of mental time travel.
Keywords:
Mental time travel
episodic memories
episodic future thinking
counterfactual thinking
prefactual thinking
phenomenological characteristics
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