Table 1.

Types of Counterfactual Thinking

Type	Description	Example
Upward vs. downward	Comparison of a present outcome to a better (upward) or worse (downward) alternative	“I should have taken the job with the higher salary” (upward) “Other people with my qualifications earn much less than I do” (downward)
Action vs. inaction (additive vs. subtractive)	Addition or subtraction of an aspect from the present state	“I should never have started smoking” (action) “I should have taken vitamin C” (inaction)
Self vs. other	Focus is on the actions or features of oneself or other people	“I should have driven more slowly” (self) “The other driver should have paid more attention” (others)