Educating Intuition

by Robin M. Hogarth

Every day we make intuitive decisions—from the mundane choice of what clothes to wear to more important issues such as which new car "feels right" or which person would be "good" for a particular job. To varying degrees, logic plays a role in these decisions, but at a certain point all of us rely on intuition, our sixth sense. Is this the right way to decide? Should we trust our gut feelings? When intuition conflicts with logic, what should we do?

In Educating Intuition , Robin M. Hogarth lays bare this mysterious process so fundamental to daily life by offering the first comprehensive overview of what the science of psychology can tell us about intuition—where it comes from, how it works, whether we can trust it. From this literature and his own research, Hogarth finds that intuition is a normal and important component of thought that has its roots in processes of tacit learning. Environment, attention, experience, expertise, and the success of the scientific method all form part of Hogarth's perspective on intuition, leading him to the surprising—but natural—conclusion that we can educate our sixth sense. To this end he offers concrete suggestions and exercises to help readers develop their intuitive skills and habits for learning the "right" lessons from experience.

Artfully and accessibly combining cognitive science, the latest research in psychology, and Hogarth's own observations, Educating Intuition eschews the vague approach to the topic that has become commonplace and provides instead a wholly engaging and practical guide to enhancing our intuitive skills.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Academic, Unfinished

352 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2001

About the author

Robin Miles Hogarth was a British-American psychologist and emeritus professor in the Department of Economics and Business at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. He served as president of both the Society for Judgment and Decision Making and the European Association for Decision Making. His previous positions include ICREA Research Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Wallace W. Booth Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is trapped somewhere between being an academic book and being a self-help, how-to book (the kind that has become common in the psychology space in the years since Hogarth wrote it). The first half of the book feels much more academic while the second half felt more instructional. I appreciate that structure because Hogarth lays down a sturdy empirical framework upon which he then builds his thoughts on how to use that empirical evidence in more practical ways. I felt that Hogarth’s style was a bit repetitive at times, like he was constantly reiterating ideas from early pages. But I also think that this repetition may have been very helpful in keeping main points from being lost. I am taking several of these main points with me and I look forward to reading another of Hogarth’s books (The Myth of Experience: Why We Learn the Wrong Lessons, and Ways to Correct Them) as well as several papers that Hogarth references.

[Nathaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically, this is my problem with this book: http://sites.nd.edu/origins-natures-f...

[Arjun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was "Blink" before "Blink" was a glimmer in Gladwell's eye.