An interesting new study has been published that adds to what Malcolm Gladwell discusses in his wonderful book, Blink. When you have a tough decision to make, stop thinking about it for awhile.
“In a series of studies with shoppers and students, researchers found that people who face a decision with many considerations, such as what house to buy, often do not choose wisely if they spend a lot of time consciously weighing the pros and cons,” writes Gareth Cook reporting in the Boston Globe. “Instead, the scientists conclude, the best strategy is to gather all of the relevant information — such as the price, the number of bathrooms, the age of the roof — and then put the decision out of mind for a while.”
The study was conducted by psychology researchers at the University of Amsterdam. The study of rational decision making clearly has implications for the business world, as marketers really come to understand how purchasing decisions are made.
