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Incubating Decisions

 

Explanations > Decisions > Incubating Decisions

Description | Discussion | See also

 

Description

When making a big decision, research has shown that it is best to sleep on it or otherwise take a break where you do not think about the factors around the decision.

Sleep is the best method for this. If, however, you are being pressed to decide or feel that you must decide soon, still try to take a break and do something that will take your mind off things for a while.

As appropriate, this may be supported by research or discussion with other people. This is best done before sleeping on it (not instead).

After the break, consider again what the decision should be. Then do a final check of the facts to ensure it still makes sense.

Discussion

In periods when the mind is distracted or otherwise not consciously thinking about a decision that has to be made, there is an active subconscious process that accurately assesses the balance of pros and cons for and against the decision.

This seems similar to the incubation that is used in creative thinking, where likewise the facts are absorbed before a period of distraction during which an idea spontaneously appears in the conscious mind.

A danger of intuitive decision-making is that the decision may be made based on hope or optimism rather than rational facts. Another danger is that things that are being asserted by others as 'facts' may not turn out to be so.

When a person is emotionally aroused, whether excited or anxious, then their rational decision-making ability is further impeded. A break can let them cool down and reflect more logically on what should be done.

See also

 

Bos, M.W., Dijksterhuis, A. and Van Baaren, R.B. (2011). The benefits of “sleeping on things”: Unconscious thought leads to automatic weighting. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21, 4-8.

Dijksterhuis, A., Bos, M.W., Van der Leij, A., & Van Baaren, R.B. (2009). Predicting soccer matches after unconscious and conscious thought as a function of expertise. Psychological Science, 20(11), 1381-1387.

Dijksterhuis, A., Bos, M.W., Nordgren, L.F., & Van Baaren, R.B. (2006). On Making the Right Choice: The deliberation-without-attention effect. Science, 311, 1005–1007.

 

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Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed