How often have you relied on your instincts or ‘gut-feel’ for decision making? If you have not, then it is about time you do, because a recent study has reinforced the power of the subconscious mind, as a reliable beacon.
A study conducted by the University College London , available online in the journal, Current Biology, has shown the worthiness of decisions taken in the blink of an eye, rather than a mulled over one!A study group was asked to choose the odd symbol amongst 650 similar ones. The participants were allowed to have a quick look at the symbols before they were removed from the vicinity. The study revealed that those who relied on their instinct to make a quick pick turned out to be right, while the well pondered and analyzed picks turned out to be way off the mark.
Dr Li Zhaoping, of the UCL Department of Psychology, said: “This finding seems counter-intuitive. You would expect people to make more accurate decisions when given the time to look properly. Instead they performed better when given almost no time to think. The conscious or top-level function of the brain, when active, vetoes our initial subconscious decision – even when it is correct – leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts and at an immediate disadvantage. Falling back on our inbuilt, involuntary subconscious processes for certain tasks is actually more effective than using our higher-level cognitive functions.”
So, what’s the moral of the story? Always trust your instincts.
Source-Medindia
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