From bias to sound intuiting: Boosting correct intuitive reasoning

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Decision Science
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Human thinking is susceptible to biases and erroneous intuitions.
• Debiasing studies show short training can improve reasoning performance.
• The mechanism by which training improves reasoning is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether training corrects erroneous intuitions through deliberation or develops new, correct intuitions.
• To examine the immediate and long-term effects of training on reasoning.

Main Methods:

• Three studies were conducted using the Bat-and-Ball problem.
• A two-response paradigm was employed: an initial intuitive response under time pressure and cognitive load, followed by a final deliberated response.
• Training involved explaining the correct answers to reasoning problems.

Main Results:

• Training significantly boosted performance on the Bat-and-Ball problem.
• Performance improvement occurred at the intuitive response stage, with participants solving problems correctly from the outset.
• Corrected intuitive reasoning was sustained for at least two months.

Conclusions:

• Short training interventions can effectively enhance sound reasoning at the intuitive level.
• The findings suggest training fosters the development of correct intuitions rather than solely relying on post-hoc deliberation.
• This has significant theoretical implications for understanding cognitive debiasing and practical applications in education and decision-making.