Thinking (Slow And Fast)
Daniel Kahneman (2012) proposed 2 ways of thinking (slow and fast) that can be used to explain much of human behaviour.
- fast thinking (system 1) is unconscious, emotive and instinctive. This results in snap judgements (including biases)
- slow thinking (system 2) is conscious, deliberate and mostly rational
The differences between fast thinking and slow thinking
|
Unconscious thinking
|
Conscious thinking
|
| Always on, ie active | Only active when you are awake |
| Dynamic | Has to be engaged |
| Effortless | Effortful |
| Fast | Slow |
| Generates emotions | More rational, ie feels, thinks, self-regulates |
| Impulsive | Capable of logical reasoning |
| Intuitive/suggestive | Cautious |
| Automatic | Lazy |
| Defects differences | Detection not automatic |
| Programmable | Controlling |
(source: Carrie Hillyard, 2022)
We use both ways of thinking when we process information and make decisions. However, there is a preference for fast thinking as slow thinking requires more work (including energy) from our brains.
Fast thinking can handle routine decisions with little effort; more complex challenges require slow thinking
An examples of fast and slow thinking is the difference between ways of thinking by politicians and bureaucrats
- politicians are intuitive and work on instinct, ie fast thinking
- bureaucrats value reason and considered analysis, ie slow thinking