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Pause before action: Waiting short time as a simple and resource-rational boost
Masaru Shirasuna1,2, Rina Kagawa3, Hidehito Honda4
1Faculty of Psychology, Otemon Gakuin University, 2-1-15, Nishiai, Ibaraki-Shi, Osaka, 567-8502, Japan. m.shirasuna1392@gmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|February 5, 2025
Summary
Introducing a brief pause, or "wait short time" intervention, can improve judgment accuracy for workers by clearing bias and restoring attention. An optimal 1-second pause enhances performance with minimal cognitive workload.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Decision Science
Background:
- Workers frequently perform judgment tasks, necessitating interventions to boost accuracy.
- Cognitive limitations and resource rationality suggest that prolonged thinking incurs costs, impacting performance.
- Prior judgment biases and attention deficits can impair decision-making accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and evaluate a resource-rational and psychohygienic intervention, termed "wait short time", to enhance judgment accuracy.
- To determine the optimal duration of a brief pause for maximizing accuracy while minimizing cognitive workload.
- To investigate the theoretical and empirical effectiveness of a brief pause in judgment tasks.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling based on resource rationality framework and computer simulations.
- Empirical investigation using a behavioral experiment with varying waiting times (1s, 2.5s).
- Assessment of judgment accuracy, cognitive conflict, and subjective irritation.
Main Results:
- Computer simulations indicated an optimal early-stage waiting time for maximizing benefits under limited cognitive resources.
- Behavioral experiments confirmed that a waiting time (1s or 2.5s) improved judgment accuracy.
- A 1-second waiting time enhanced accuracy with reduced subjective irritation and cognitive conflict compared to a 2.5-second wait.
Conclusions:
- A brief, "wait short time" intervention is effective in improving judgment accuracy for straightforward tasks.
- An optimal pause duration (e.g., 1 second) can enhance cognitive performance by mitigating bias and restoring attention without increasing workload.
- The findings support the application of resource-rational principles to design interventions for cognitive tasks.
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