Should we believe in instinct-based decisions?

A study by University College London found that you will be able to make better decisions if you don't think too hard and instead believe in your instincts. This study has demonstrated that, in some cases, instinctively quick decisions are more reliable than those considered after a high-level cognitive process.

The study participants were asked to remove a strange symbol in 650 identical symbols on the screen, which is a symbol similar to other symbols but reversed. As a result, these people have made this requirement better when they have no time to hesitate to think about choosing symbols and being forced to rely entirely on their subconscious.

Dr. Li Zhaoping of the Department of Psychology at UCL said: ' This finding seems unusual, contrary to what we often think. Often you think someone will make more accurate decisions when they have time to consider. But they actually do better when they have almost no time to think. The perception at (Photo: humanfactors.com) The high level of the brain, when active, will refute our initial subconscious decision - even if this initial decision is correct - making us unaware or don't believe in your instincts and bring us disadvantages right away. Using our existing subconscious process for certain tasks is actually more effective when we use our higher level of cognitive function . "

Research has also demonstrated that a rational thought-based case is worse than our subconscious mindset - but our conscious thinking still tends to disprove thought. awake.

Ten loved participants need to identify symbols similar to other symbols but are reversed on the screen and have 0 to 1.5 seconds from when the eye detects a different symbol and considers the symbol carefully. Participants must decide on that strange symbol on the left or right side of the screen. And scientists discovered that participants would score better if they did not have time to scrutinize these symbols.

With only a fraction of a second to look at a different symbol, they achieve 95% accuracy. With more than a second time to consider this symbol, they only achieved 70% accuracy. And for a time of more than 4 seconds, the accuracy level will return to the original, which is 95%.

In this test, instinctive decisions are more accurate because subconscious thinking recognizes the reversed image of the same image as being different from the original, while thinking Conscious, I see these two images the same. For cognitive thinking, the apple will still be an apple whether or not it is turned back. Therefore, while the lower level of perception recognizes that the image is reversed is a different picture, the higher cognitive function declines this decision and rejects the reversal image because of that it is the same as all other symbols. When viewers have enough time to use the cognitive function at their higher level, their decision will therefore be more likely to be wrong.

Dr. Zhaoping said: 'If our cognitive processes at lower and higher levels produce the same results, there is no problem to say. But in fact, our instincts of higher cognitive function often clash with each other and in this case our instincts are often perceived by reason as being 'silent'. Therefore, participants will do this better if they "turn off" their higher-level cognitive functions, by, for example, quick decisions, for example. "

Following the eye movements of the participants, the team controlled the time each person had to search for strange signs. The display is turned off at different time intervals, either before, or after their eyes detect the symbol they need to find. As soon as their eyes saw the ' goal ', the photo on the screen was hidden, and at that time they often believed that they had just guessed where the strange symbol was. They did not realize that their eyes had previously shifted to the symbol they were looking for before the symbol was hidden and their answers were not a guess at all.

Dr. Zhaoping said: ' Our eye movements are often unintentional . What seems like a random blink of an eye is often an essential subconscious detection technique, which allows us to recognize special and unusual traits in a crowd like color or orientation. . As soon as our eyes stop at the target, our high-level or conscious awareness begins to participate and see if that goal is the target. If that goal is not different enough in this' eye 'of this high awareness, wrong recognition may happen.'

Thanh Van