The emotions of the athletes in the prize-awarding moments are often some of the most unforgettable images of the Olympics.Yet, a number of people have noticed some strange things.Yes, the gold medal winner is filled with pride and excitement, which is to be expected.Yet often, it seems the bronze medal winner is happier than the silver medalist.It is strange that the 3rd place contestant might be happier than someone who did better (the 2nd place).How can this be so? "What if reasoning can help to explain this interesting effect.               In order to understand our world and our choices, we often imagine how things could have been different.A wife may ask, " Would I be happier today if I had married someone else?" Likewise, a student may think, "If 1 had chosen another major, maybe I would have a better shot at getting into graduate school." In short, " what if thinking allows us to mentally create alternative to our reality.               In the Olympics, the "what ifs" of the winners are different.Clearly, the "what ifs" for the gold medalist involve not being No.1--this thought makes this athlete realize how fortunate he or she is.For the bronze medalist, the "what ifs" involve not being on the medal list at all, producing positive feelings.However, for the silver medalist, the "what ifs" can easily make the athlete ponder how things could have been different if he or she has won the gold medal (e.g.what if I practiced harder, and what if I had not made the small error in my routine).Thus, the "what ifs" that come to mind of the 1st and 3rd place finishers are positive, but the 2nd place finishers have a number of dissatisfying alternatives to reality that can make them feel less happy. According to the passage, "what if reasoning means   _  .
imagining what things could have been or would be in another situation making the best choice in a very difficult situation doing the same thing using several different ways looking forward to being in a better situation