The intuitive decision preference and EEG features based on commonality heuristic

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Decision Science

Background:

• Individuals often employ intuitive heuristics, with a tendency to prioritize common features in decision-making.
• Cognitive limitations and contextual cues can influence intuitive thinking, particularly regarding common items.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how cognitive limitations and task context induction affect intuitive decision-making based on common items.
• To differentiate subject responses based on their reliance on intuitive versus rational analysis.
• To explore the neural correlates of different decision-making styles using electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERP).

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire experiment was designed incorporating multidisciplinary features and similarity associations.
• Participants were categorized into three classes based on their decision-making behaviors.
• EEG and ERPs were recorded to analyze brain activity during decision-making tasks.

Main Results:

• Class I subjects relied on rational analysis, unaffected by cognitive limitations or context.
• Class II subjects exhibited a mix of intuitive and rational analysis, prioritizing rational thought.
• Class III subjects showed reinforced intuitive decision-making due to task context induction, evidenced by distinct P600 ERP components.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive limitations and task context differentially influence intuitive decision-making.
• Three distinct subject classes emerged, reflecting varying degrees of intuitive versus rational processing.
• Specific EEG and ERP patterns, particularly the P600 component in Class III, are associated with intuitive decision-making for common items.