Historical Social Research/ Historische Sozialforschung
HSR Vol. 34 (2009) No. 2 – Special Issue: Counterfactual Thinking

Special Issue:
Roland Wenzlhuemer (Ed.):
Counterfactual Thinking as a Scientific Method / Kontrafaktisches Denken als wissenschaftliche Methode.
& Mixed Issue (Articles, Cliometrics); 376 pages.

Counterfactual thinking is a common occurrence in everyday-life situations. What if I had bought a ticket before boarding the bus? What if I had not gone to the rock concert and never met my partner? On first glance such counterfactual thoughts appear to be nothing more than a sentimental and all too human trait. What practical use is there in thinking about alternatives of the past that have never been realized? It is, therefore, no surprise that counterfactual thinking in a scientific context has for a long time been eyed suspiciously. Can it have any analytical value to systematically think about things that have never happened and surely will never happen? While some academic disciplines such as law, economics or philosophy have answered this question in the affirmative and have employed counterfactuals as a matter of course, others – such as history or political science – have been particularly critical of the practice that has often been perceived as void of any methodological validity or analytical value.

In the last two decades, however, psychological research has demonstrated that counterfactual thinking in everyday life is more than a sentimental pastime and has clearly discernable analytical uses for the thinker. This volume brings together contributions from a variety of different disciplines and seeks to illustrate how counterfactual thinking can, indeed, be useful from a scientific perspective. It builds on the results of recent psychological research and the experiences that researchers in disciplines such as law or economics have made with counterfactual thinking. The volume ultimately seeks to highlight the common analytical ground between counterfactual thinking in everyday life and in academic contexts – particularly in the field of historical research.

Allen Abonnentinnen und Abonnenten von H-Soz-u-Kult bieten wir die neu erschienene HSR-Ausgabe Vol. 34 (2009) No. 2 zu einem Sonderpreis von € 12,- (gegen Rechnung; Preis inkl. Versand) an.

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Sandra Schulz
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