Sleep on it, decision-makers told
When it comes to making tough decisions – don’t sweat it, sleep on it – or so a team of scientists recommends.
A Dutch study suggests complex decisions like buying a car can be better made when the unconscious mind is left to churn through the options.
This is because people can only focus on a limited amount of information, the study in the journal Science suggests.
The conscious brain should be reserved for simple choices like picking between towels and shampoos, the team said.
Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.Like this author?
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From Psych Central's World of Psychology:
Why Sleeping On It Helps | World of Psychology (10/26/2009)
Why ‘Sleeping on It’ Helps « You Can Be New (10/27/2009)
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 19 Feb 2006
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Grohol, J. (2006). Sleep on it, decision-makers told. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 13, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/02/19/sleep-on-it-decision-makers-told/
