Are you having trouble making a decision? You have enough time to answer; But in any case, a new study shows that people who make decisions quickly are more likely to be biased than those who take a while to decide. Furthermore, early decision makers may be more likely to prefer options that align with their biases. According to the results of the new research, those who make decisions late, ultimately make better decisions.
“We show that in groups of agents that differ only in their initial biases, early decisions are made by agents with more biases,” the researchers write in their paper. On the other hand, decisions that are made late are not dependent on initial bias and are more likely to be correct.
Slowness in decision-making is often considered a symptom of disorders such as anxiety or simply a lack of self-confidence. However, while some people may evaluate evidence to make decisions, others make decisions based on instinctive responses, emotional reactions, false assumptions, or the consequences of past decisions.
The University of Utah researchers intended to investigate the effects of bias and information availability on decision-making speed using numerical models known as “evidence accumulation models”. They developed models in which a number of agents had to decide between two alternatives. To the factors in the model, random biases were assigned to the options and directed to the collection of evidence. The results showed that in the groups of agents whose only difference was in initial biases, those who had more initial biases made decisions at a higher speed.
The time taken to make a decision was inversely related to the intensity of the bias. Those agents who spent the most time making decisions made decisions that were least affected by initial bias and were more likely to be correct.
“Our decisions are often influenced by information we have already acquired, as well as biases that have been built into us,” the researchers write. “We have shown that these initial biases have an effect on early decisions and less on later decisions.”
The above result is logical. If your mind has already thought about something, you really don’t have to think long enough to make a decision about it.
The current research worked on cause and effect and did not include complex human behavior in the equation. But it can be used as a basis for understanding human behavior in large and small groups and how our actions can be guided by our beliefs.
The research has been published in the journal Physical Review E.
