I firmly believe that having more options is preferable to having fewer options. On the other hand, just about every time I go to the grocery store, I wish there were fewer choices. So I am conflicted: my training and belief system tell me the more options, the better; my experience, sometimes just the opposite. Research now validates the conflict I experience. In fact, Columbia researcher Sheena Iyengar asserts that having too many options results in poorer decisions. Read on at http://www.prismdecision.com/z4x.
Channel Your Inner Crayfish Brain
06/28/2010 by
When making decisions, do you struggle with cost-benefit analyses? Well, here is motivation for you to improve that skill: According to ScienceDaily, “Crayfish make surprisingly complex, cost-benefit calculations.” See the full discussion of crayfish and human cost-benefit calculus at http://www.prismdecision.com/channel-your-inner-crayfish-brain.
98% Of All Statistics Are False
06/23/2010 by
Guest contributor Andrew Tait highlights some of the problems associated with testing hypotheses using statistical methods. Read why he agrees with Tom Siegfried’s observation in a recent piece in Science News that “if you believe what you read in the scientific literature, you shouldn’t believe what you read in the scientific literature”.
The Multitasking Illusion
06/07/2010 by
Most of us believe that multitasking increases our productivity. That belief turns out to be an illusion. Read on for the fully post at http://www.prismdecision.com/multitasking-illusion
Ben Franklin’s Tradeoff Tool
04/19/2010 by
When faced with an important decision, we are often prone to procrastination. Indeed, the more consequential the decision, the more time we may spend avoiding it. Our procrastination has multiple causes — some psychological and some cognitive. One clear cause is that most of us are ill equipped to manage decision tradeoffs. Ben Franklin provides us a simple, ingenious way to manage and weigh tradeoffs.
Open Your Feedback Loop
03/15/2010 by
It’s the rare person who enjoys feedback. All of us are subject to human frailty. We are uncomfortable under the critical scrutiny of our colleagues, family members, friends — even ourselves…But the habit of seeking and acting on feedback is essential to good thinking, effective problem solving and high performance.
The Matrix
02/11/2010 by
Struggling with a tough decision? Wavering back and forth, unable to make up your mind? Very likely your frustration results from thinking about a complex problem—like buying a house—one factor at a time. To attack a complex problem and keep track of its multiple factors, create a decision matrix.
