Simulating the best and worst of times: The powers and perils of emotional simulation

Abstract

We are remarkably capable of simulating events that we have never experienced. These simulated events often paint an emotional picture to behold, such as the best and worst possible outcomes that we might face. This review synthesizes dispersed literature exploring the role of emotion in simulation. Drawing from work that suggests that simulations can influence our preferences, decision making, and prosociality, we argue for a critical role of emotion in informing the consequences of simulation. We further unpack burgeoning evidence suggesting that the effects of emotional simulation transcend the laboratory. We propose avenues by which emotional simulation can be harnessed for both personal and collective good in applied contexts. We conclude by offering important future directions.

‘My child could have died’: counterfactual thoughts and psychological distress in parents of trauma survivors

“…Furthermore, it makes sense that a parent’s vivid simulations about what could have happened to the child, particularly if these thoughts entail how their child could have been injured or died, will be experienced as very distressing. When CFTs take the form of vivid mental images, this involves a form of mental time travel and resembles episodic memories (Addis, 2018 ; De Brigard & Parikh, 2019 ; Wardell et al, 2022 ). From research on trauma and memory, we know that higher degrees of vividness of trauma memories are associated with higher levels of PTSR (Berntsen et al, 2003 ).…”