Thinking, Fast and Slow by Dr. Daniel Kahneman discussed the
overall processes of fast-paced intuition and a slower process of rational
control. The book helps to highlight two concepts called the experiencing self
and the remembering self. The experiencing of self is the intuitive experiences
that come from our senses while the remembering self is the reflective thoughts
that help us gauge history. Each system contributes to the decisions we make
and why we make them.
In system 1 (intuition) people make quick judgments to
threats or changes in our environment that allow them to react quickly. The
stimulus forces them to quickly scan for possible reactions and associations
that benefit their survival. Once they have reacted they can use system 2
(calculation and reflection) to review the possible choices and deliberatively
make better choices.
Both systems can have bias. System 1 can improperly perceive
information and make incorrect assumptions from the information. The first answer
that comes to mind is not always the correct one. Likewise, people’s rational
and deliberative thought can also fool them because they are missing important
perceptual information as people rationally move through logical steps and
connections.
Rationality is an interesting concept people use in science
but also applies to people’s daily life.
Rationality is a more deliberative and
systematic approach to understanding problems. It relies on calculation,
reflection, and judgment. However, rationality is also having consistent
beliefs through a person’s being. For
example, it is rational for someone to believe in ghosts as long as it is
internally consistent with their other thoughts and beliefs.
The book also discusses priming and its impact on choice. In
a priming situation a person can be shown perceptual or conceptual cues that
impact responses and choices later. For example, a person primed with
environmental stimuli might recognize that stimuli later when more information
becomes available. Conceptual priming is often used in research and is focused
on using thoughts and concepts under the same modality to impact understanding at
a future date. Perceptual priming can be
seen as intuitive while conceptual priming is more rational.
Priming does not need to be overt information and can be unconscious.
For example, a single word can be used to prime a thought later through a
particular interaction with the environment. Even thought the book doesn’t
state this one could make a logical argument that all people are primed in some
form or fashion through their collective experiences and shared pasts that
allow for groupings of responses. It is possible to predict future choices
based upon cultural primes from the past if these past experiences encourage
particular behavioral patterns.
The book helps highlight how the “two systems” work together
to make accurate or inaccurate judgments. Some have described these as the “hot”
and “cold” systems. The “hot” system scans for information and the “cold”
system makes rational judgments. When both systems can work together and
understand their relationship to the environment a person can develop the
strongest responses to challenges and situations while reducing potential cognitive
bias and improper reactions.
The author Daniel Kahneman is a 2002 Nobel Prize winner in
Economic Systems. His work as a psychologist focuses on decision making,
behavioral economics, judgments, and hedonic behaviors. In 2012 he was named in the Foreign Policy
magazine as one of the top global thinkers. Many of his works are considered
new research and ground breaking.
The book is certainly a beneficial read for those who are
interested in decision-making and bias. However, if one were looking for casual
reading they may forewarned to move down the aisle to less intensive works. The
work includes sufficient depth, case studies, and research on how the mind
processes information and the heuristics we use to make decisions. Even though the language is not difficult to
understand the book is more doctoral level in its orientation.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking
Fast and Thinking Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN:
978-0-374-27563
Blog Ranking: Academics/Researchers 4.6/5 Casual Readers: 3.9/5
Price: $20
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