The Best Way to Solve a Problem is to Sleep on It Overnight

A research has pointed out that the best way to solve a difficult problem is to get away from it for a few minutes or just sleep on it overnight.

Those who consciously struggle with a difficult question are more likely to get the wrong answer, compared with those who put it on the mental backburner, experiments show.

Decision Making Affected by Status Quo Bias in the Brain
Researchers at University College London (UCL) found that when we are faced with difficult decisions, most often we portray a tendency of inaction.

Students were asked to choose the best models from four imaginary makes of car.

Each had 12 different features but two had better road holding and fuel economy. After reading about each car, one group of students was asked to make an instant choice.

Another group carried out a second test, which was designed to occupy their minds for five minutes before making their decision.

Decision Making Ability Influenced by Dopamine
A new study has shown that dopamine, which plays an important role in setting people's moods, might also have a part to play in people's decision making abilities.

Volunteers in the second group were more likely to select the best car, the results showed.

Experts believe this is because their subconscious minds were given the time to weigh up all the pros and cons.

How Eyes Betray Intentions While Decision Making
When people make decisions, their pupils dilate, a cue that could be used to predict a person's intentions, says a new research.

"Unconscious thought produces better decisions than when people decide immediately," the Daily Mail quoted psychologist Maarten Bos, who led the research at Radboud University in the Netherlands, as saying.

"Although in our current experiments participants did not actually sleep on their decision, the benefit of a period of rest is clear.

The Brain Chemical Behind Decision Making
A new study has revealed the role of Brain chemical dopamine in making decisions which give immense joy like going on an holiday or plans to start a family.

"It allows us to differentiate between the vital and the irrelevant aspects. When your grandparents advised you to sleep on a decision first, they may have intuitively sensed the benefits of letting it rest to get a clear grasp of one's priorities," Bos added.

The study will be published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Source-ANI