How to make smart decisions more easily

Q & A

What was the main focus of the 2011 study involving judges and parole decisions?

The study focused on how the time of day influenced judges' decisions to offer parole to imprisoned individuals, revealing that those who met with the board in the morning were more likely to receive parole than those reviewed in the afternoon, despite having similar crimes and sentences.

What is decision fatigue, and how does it affect decision-making?

Decision fatigue is a state of cognitive exhaustion that occurs after a period of extended decision making. It can make people more impulsive and less confident in their choices, which can be particularly dangerous in high-stakes scenarios.

Why were judges in the afternoon more likely to deny parole compared to those in the morning?

The judges were likely experiencing decision fatigue by the afternoon, which is a cognitive exhaustion that can result from making numerous decisions throughout the day, leading to less favorable outcomes in decision-making.

What is the daily threshold for making decisions that many individuals seem to have?

The daily threshold refers to the limit of decisions an individual can make before they consciously choose to 'take it easy' and postpone serious thinking about new decisions to another day.

How does the complexity of a decision affect the rate at which an individual reaches their decision-making threshold?

The complexity of a decision, along with its frequency and novelty, influences how quickly an individual reaches their decision-making threshold. More complex and novel decisions deplete cognitive resources faster.

Why is choosing what to eat for breakfast considered a low-stakes decision?

Choosing what to eat for breakfast is a low-stakes decision because it is limited by what's available, expected to be made daily, and carries minimal consequences.

What is an example of a high-stakes, complex decision mentioned in the script?

An example of a high-stakes, complex decision is needing to replace a car that suddenly breaks down, which requires hours of research, consideration of various pros and cons, and identification of the most important factors due to the infrequent nature of such a decision.

How does time pressure affect decision-making and the subsequent stress after making a decision?

Time pressure adds additional stress during the decision-making process, as individuals feel rushed to make a choice. Afterward, the stress continues as they expend more energy worrying about whether they would have made a different decision with more time.

Why are judges and medical professionals particularly susceptible to decision fatigue?

Judges and medical professionals are susceptible to decision fatigue because they often need to make multiple high-stakes decisions every day, with little time to recover between decisions, which can lead to critical mistakes.

What strategies can individuals use to avoid decision fatigue in their daily lives?

To avoid decision fatigue, individuals can make fewer daily decisions, spread out their to-do list over multiple days, remove some routine decisions from their day, seek advice on hard decisions, and learn to relax about less important choices to save energy for more significant decisions.

Why is it less draining to offer advice on a hard decision than to make the decision oneself?

Offering advice on a hard decision is less draining because the responsibility for the outcome does not fall on the advisor. They can consider the decision more objectively and without the personal stress that comes with making the decision oneself.

How can individuals save energy for decisions that truly matter?

Individuals can save energy for important decisions by learning to relax about the small stuff, making fewer daily decisions, and focusing on the choices that have a more significant impact on their lives.