When the kids smelled the marshmallow (sensory stimulus), they grabbed it and ate it without thinking.

The kids who chose to eat the marshmallow immediately had their subconscious brain in charge. To study decision making, researchers put children in front of marshmallows and told them that if they waited for more than one marshmallow, then they could have two instead of just one. How do people make decisions? Most would like to think that they weigh all the options and arrive at a rational conclusion. Big Idea #1: Our choices are determined by two opposing systems: the automatic and the reflective. In this article, you will learn about these influences and how they affect us as well as what we can do to become better decision makers.Īfter reading this, you’ll know why you might not recognize the obvious how resisting one piece of delicious candy indicates greater success in life and what love at first sight has in common with fear. The cars we choose to drive, the careers we choose and even our political views are influenced by a long line of factors that are beyond our control. We make decisions every day, but often we don’t realize the reasons behind them. We are highly emotional creatures who make decisions based on a combination of facts and emotions rather than just logic. However, we’re not completely rational or logical in our decision-making. Most people like to think of themselves as rational and logical. 1-Page Summary of The Art of Choosing Overview

The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar