INTUITION may be better in some cases for decision-making

[Think_n_See]

Intuition (i.e. Unconscious Thought) may be better than logic for
making some types of decisions. In particular, comparing simple
choices (such as different oven mitts or different towels) is better
done using logic whereas (this study shows) comparing complex choices
(such as different houses or different cars) is better using intuition.

Couple of links:
The abstract:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/311/5763/1005
An article about this:
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/02/schopenhauer_and_unconscious_t.html

[da5zeay]

That's interesting! One thought that comes to mind is that in simple
cases (oven mitts or towels), we're much more likely to have relevant
experience in the problem domain. We generally can make a good choice
about an oven mitt because we have direct experience with its use, and
our logic is therefore grounded empirically.

With cars or houses, though, most of us are operating outside of our
domain of expertise. Sure, we know what houses are like for and what
cars do, but logicking our way through the choice assumes we're not
only familiar with our own processes (unlikely), but we are specialists
in other ways. Are we realtor, civic planner, building contractor or
anthropologist enough to make a decision about a house logically?
Probably not. Are we conversant enough with automobile repair,
mechanical engineering, professional driving techniques, or model
history to choose just the right car? Probably not. But heck, I know
that an oven mitt has to be comfortable, fit my hand, and block heat,
otherwise I'll get burned.

Another way of looking at this is to consider the respected medical
doctor who somehow thinks, because he is a doctor and has gone through
a lot of school, that he knows how to run your dry cleaning business.
Or the computer scientist Ph. D. who, because he has an expectation
that time is reliable, blames the city for not having "chronologically
accurate parking meters" and refuses to pay a fine. This is the fallacy
of misplaced authority...I can see it applying here.

This post may well be another example of exactly what I'm talking about
:D

[Think_n_See]

Hahaha. "This post may be..."

[da5zeay]

Just in case it wasn't clear, I meant "my reply", not the original post
;-)