It’s wise to take time to think before you make decisions, but did you know that even the briefest of pauses — just milliseconds — can stop you from making errors in everyday life?
Photo by asthenop
That’s the news from recent research reported by Psych Central. In the first experiment, the volunteers were shown randomly-moving dots on a monitor and had to judge as quickly or as accurately as possible which way the dots were moving overall. In the second, they had to do the same, except they were given between 17 and 500 milliseconds to respond.
The researchers likened the experiment to real-world situations like driving, when you often have to make split-second decisions. They found it takes only about 120 milliseconds for the brain to shift focus and block out distractions, and concluded that even the slightest pauses can improve decision making.
Pausing is a good strategy for becoming a better parent as well as making big financial decisions. Turns out you might not even have to wait very long at all.
Slight Delay Can Make for Better Decisions [Psych Central]
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