So says a report on Science Daily

Counterfactual thinking is thinking about things that might have happened that didn't. Counter to the facts I suppose.

CF thinking more typically occurs after an event that has a negative result. The "What if" factor.

The researchers discovered that reality has more favourable meanings when students had actively considered alternative possibilities.

Such a trait would be an advantage in our field. Things do go wrong and the ability to consider possible alternative plans and "what if"s is one way to better ones systems.