We have all heard that we have conscious and unconscious thoughts. Nobel Prize winner uses the metaphor of two systems he calls System 1 and System 2, whereby System 1 is responsible for the more automated and intuitive thought processes (invisible thoughts), and System 2 for our conscious choices that require some deliberation (visible thoughts). Kahneman explains that our System 2 is lazy, and would rather save on energy whenever possible, which is we often depend on our invisible thinking, when making decisions.
This is because our System 1 can come up with solutions, without spending too much energy. System 2 does however have the ability to check on the intuitions we receive from System 1, and correct them when necessary. The question is, does it?
To answer this question, I want to give you three short riddles, known as the Cognitive Reflection Test. They come from the paper Cognitive Reflection and Decision Making by Shane Frederick (2005). The goal is to test how much confidence you place on your intuition, and see how our two systems interact with each other. Ready? Let’s get started.
- A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? _____ cents
- If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets? _____ minutes
- In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size. If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake, how long would it take for the patch to cover half of the lake? _____ days
I will post the answers on my next blog but would love to hear your answers 😉
Talk soon,
Allon
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Spiritual Intuition
