Have you ever had a gut feeling about a decision, even when you couldn’t explain why? Intuition often feels mysterious, like something out of a science fiction story, but there’s actually a scientific basis for it. Rather than being about predicting the future, intuition is more about recognizing patterns based on past experiences.
Imagine looking at a chessboard for just five seconds and then trying to remember the positions of the pieces. Studies show that while beginners might recall about 25% of the board, chess masters can remember around 95%. However, if the pieces are placed randomly, both groups remember only about 25%. This isn’t because masters have photographic memory; instead, they recognize familiar patterns from years of practice.
Our brains process information in two ways: fast and slow thinking. Slow thinking is like solving a complex math problem, where you need to concentrate and think carefully. Fast thinking is more instinctive, like recognizing emotions. Intuition falls into this fast-thinking category.
In a study involving Shogi, a Japanese board game, players were asked to find a checkmate move in just one second. Brain scans showed that expert players didn’t use the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought. Instead, the basal ganglia, which handles habits and automatic behaviors, was active. This shows how intuition works without conscious reasoning.
When making complex decisions, like buying a house, some people think it’s best to list pros and cons. However, research suggests that snap decisions can lead to better outcomes. People often feel more satisfied with their choices when they trust their gut. For simpler decisions, like picking toothpaste, careful thought and research are more beneficial.
Can you recognize your own voice? In a study, 75% of participants failed to identify their voice from a recording. However, their skin conductance increased when their voice played, indicating their intuition recognized it even if they didn’t consciously realize it.
In a card game study, participants chose cards from four decks, with some decks having more bad cards. Initially, they didn’t know which decks were better, but after 50 cards, they started to suspect. By 80 cards, they could identify the good and bad decks. Interestingly, their skin conductance indicated their intuition knew the right choice early on.
Intuition isn’t always reliable, especially in understanding others’ emotions. A study with over 900 participants found that systematic thinking was more effective than intuition in interpreting feelings accurately.
Our intuition is shaped by past experiences, helping our ancestors distinguish between friends and foes. We have two thinking systems—fast and slow—and it’s wise to use both depending on the situation.
Special thanks to Audible for supporting this episode. You can get a free 30-day trial at audible.com/asap. This week, we recommend the book “Algorithms to Live By,” which explores how computer algorithms can be applied to everyday life! You can choose from a massive selection at Audible.
And subscribe for more weekly science videos!
Engage in a pattern recognition activity by playing a simplified version of chess. Set up a board with a few pieces and study it for a short time. Then, try to recreate the board from memory. Discuss how recognizing patterns can enhance your intuition, similar to how chess masters use their experience to remember piece positions.
Participate in a debate where you explore scenarios that require fast thinking versus slow thinking. Divide into groups and argue for when intuition (fast thinking) is more beneficial than analytical reasoning (slow thinking), and vice versa. Reflect on how these thinking styles apply to real-life decision-making.
Learn the basics of Shogi, the Japanese board game, and attempt to find a checkmate move in a limited time. Discuss how your brain processes the game differently when under time pressure and how this relates to the concept of intuition and automatic behaviors.
Engage in a role-playing activity where you make complex decisions, such as buying a house or choosing a college. Use both intuitive and analytical approaches to make your decision, then compare outcomes. Discuss when it might be more effective to trust your gut versus relying on detailed analysis.
Record your voice and mix it with recordings of others. Play the recordings back and try to identify your own voice. Reflect on how your intuition might recognize your voice even if you consciously struggle to do so, and discuss the implications of this in understanding intuition.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Do you ever get that feeling in your gut that something is the right or wrong decision, but you don’t know why? Our intuition is often seen as mysticism or linked with telepathy and premonitions, but is there a science behind it? Should you trust your intuition? Understanding something immediately without conscious reasoning is less about seeing into the future and more about pattern recognition.
If I showed you a layout of an actual chess game for 5 seconds, could you reproduce it? Studies show that most chess novices can recreate about 25% of it, while chess masters do it with 95% accuracy. However, if the task is repeated with the pieces in completely random positions, both novices and masters only recall 25%. The masters don’t have photographic memory; they simply use their knowledge and intuition based on patterns they have seen over years of practice!
Our brain processes information through both slow and fast thinking. For example, a math problem may cause a stress response, prompting your brain to engage in slow thinking to solve it. In contrast, understanding the emotion of sadness involves fast thinking; this is where intuition lies.
In a similar study on the Japanese board game Shogi, participants were asked to solve a checkmate move within one second. With no time for conscious analysis, brain scans showed no activation of the cortex in expert Shogi players, the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought. Instead, the basal ganglia, linked to habit formation and automatic behaviors, was triggered.
Interestingly, when it comes to complex decisions like buying a house, many believe that careful thought with a pros and cons list is best. However, one study found that participants made better choices when they went with their snap decision. It turns out we often only take into account a subset of relevant information, which can lead to inaccurately weighing the importance of each attribute. The study also found that those who trusted their gut were more satisfied with their decisions in the long run than those who thought through the process carefully. However, for simple purchases, like choosing toothpaste, intentional thought and research were found to be helpful.
Think you can identify the sound of your own voice? Surprisingly, after listening to a recording of many voices in succession, including their own, 75% of participants in a study made a mistake recognizing their own voice. Interestingly, their skin conductance was measured, and levels increased significantly when their own voice was played, even though they didn’t consciously recognize it. This suggests they ignored their intuition, which knew the correct answer first.
This phenomenon was also shown in a card game using four decks of cards. Participants would select a card from any pile, which would either be good or bad. Without knowing initially, decks A and B had more bad cards, while C and D had more good cards. After choosing 10 cards, participants had no idea what was happening, but by 50 cards, most suspected that some decks were better than others. Finally, after 80 cards, they could articulate that decks A and B were bad and C and D were good. Even before they knew it consciously, their skin conductance levels would rise as early as the first 10 cards in response to reaching for piles A and B. Their skin was already making unconscious signals about the right choice before their conscious mind did.
So, is following your intuition always the best route? Not in cases of empathy. A study involving over 900 participants found that when it came to accurately interpreting and understanding the feelings of others, systematic thinking or careful analysis of the information available was more successful than simply going with what feels right.
Relying on our past experiences is how our intuition is formed, helping our ancestors determine friend from foe. However, we have two systems of thinking—fast and slow—and it’s recommended to follow both.
Special thanks to Audible for supporting this episode. You can get a free 30-day trial at audible.com/asap. This week, we recommend the book “Algorithms to Live By,” which explores how computer algorithms can be applied to everyday life! You can choose from a massive selection at Audible.
And subscribe for more weekly science videos!
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This version maintains the core content while ensuring clarity and professionalism.
Intuition – The ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. – Many psychologists study how intuition can influence decision-making processes in high-pressure situations.
Decision-making – The cognitive process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives. – Effective decision-making often requires balancing logical analysis with emotional intelligence.
Experience – The knowledge or skill acquired by a period of practical involvement in an activity or exposure to events. – In psychology, experience is considered a crucial factor in shaping an individual’s behavior and personality.
Patterns – Regular and intelligible forms or sequences discernible in the way in which something happens or is done. – Recognizing patterns in human behavior is essential for psychologists to predict future actions and outcomes.
Thinking – The process of using one’s mind to consider or reason about something. – Critical thinking is a fundamental skill in scientific research, allowing for the evaluation of evidence and arguments.
Chess – A strategic board game that requires players to anticipate and counter their opponent’s moves. – Studies have shown that playing chess can enhance cognitive abilities such as problem-solving and strategic thinking.
Shogi – A Japanese board game similar to chess, known for its complex strategies and tactics. – Research in cognitive psychology often explores how playing games like shogi can improve memory and concentration.
Gut – A colloquial term referring to an instinctive feeling or reaction, often used in the context of decision-making. – Trusting one’s gut can sometimes lead to better decisions than overanalyzing a situation, according to some psychological studies.
Emotions – Complex psychological states that involve physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience. – Understanding emotions is critical for psychologists to help individuals manage stress and improve mental health.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – Conducting research in psychology helps to uncover the underlying mechanisms of human thought and behavior.
