Intuitive vs. Deliberate Decision-Making

Intuitive vs. Deliberate Decision-Making

How does the brain make decisions? Are decisions made through conscious deliberation always better than intuitive decisions made on the fly? Our brains use two broad strategies for making decisions: conscious or deliberate decision-making and unconscious or intuitive decision-making. We usually think that deliberate decisions should be the way to go. But according to Malcolm Gladwell, both logical, conscious decision-making and snap judgments have their time and place. Here’s why deliberate decisions aren’t necessarily the best decisions.

How to Make the Right Decision: Skills for Life

The 3 Core Principles of Objective Decision Making

How do you approach decision-making? Is the right decision always the most informed decision? Most of us have been taught that to make good decisions, we need to consider as much information as possible. But sometimes the right decision is a less-informed decision. Too much information can overwhelm you with details and obscure the bigger picture. Here’s how to make the right decision by considering less information.

Risky Decisions Will Make You Happier Than Safe Ones

Risky Decisions Will Make You Happier Than Safe Ones

Do you avoid making risky decisions in life? Are you afraid of living with regret? As it turns out, people often assume that they’ll regret making risky decisions when, in reality, they have more regret when they don’t make those decisions. What you think is the “safe option” is probably the choice that’s going to make you the least happy. Here’s why you should take risks in your life if you want to be happy.

The Effect of Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Damage

The Effect of Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Damage

What is the function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)? What happens when the vmPFC brain region is damaged? The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is an area of the brain which has been extensively studied with regard to value computation. Observing patients with ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage has yielded some intriguing insights into the way the brain makes decisions. Learn about vmPFC’s role in decision-making, and what happens when it’s damaged.

Are First Impressions Accurate?—More Than You Think

Are First Impressions Accurate?—More Than You Think

Are first impressions accurate? How much can you tell about a person’s character based on a first impression? They say that first impressions can be deceiving. However, although first impressions are based on a very small segment of information, they can also be incredibly accurate, even more so than “second,” “third,” or even “fourth” ones. Keep reading to learn about the power of first impressions, and why they are often more accurate than people think.

Making Decisions Under Stress: Practice Makes Perfect

Making Decisions Under Stress: Practice Makes Perfect

How does stress affect decision-making? How can you avoid making bad decisions in stressful situations? When you’re stressed, your brain’s ability to reason logically is impaired which can lead you to make bad decisions that you’ll likely regret when you come to your senses. However, sometimes you have no choice but to make a decision under stress. As with everything in life, making good decisions under stress takes practice. Here’s how you can practice making decisions under stress by rehearsing your responses to anticipated stressors beforehand.

Understanding the Priming Effect (Psychology)

Understanding the Priming Effect (Psychology)

What is priming? What are the different kinds of priming? In psychology, the priming effect occurs when exposure to a previous stimulus influences one’s reaction to the subsequent stimulus. Priming has been extensively researched in studies of a wide range of social and psychological phenomena, including memory, motivation, stereotyping, and prejudice. Learn about the psychology of priming.

Implicit Racial Bias: Can It Be Overcome?

Implicit Racial Bias: Can It Be Overcome?

What is implicit racial bias? How can implicit racial bias be challenged if, by definition, it “lives” in the unconscious? Implicit racial bias refers to racist beliefs, attitudes, and stereotypes that people harbor without their awareness. In other words, implicit bias is unconscious. Because our unconscious minds are extremely suggestible, we can address our unconscious biases through priming. Keep reading to learn about implicit racial bias, how it’s detected, and how it can be overcome.