Recent research sheds light on a simple way we may be depriving ourselves of making more optimal decisions
So we all know that there is truth in the saying "Less is More", but it turns out we're not great at applying it to problem solving in practice!
Recent research in publication Nature has found that when we try to improve something - be that a situation, an object or an idea - our brains have a tendency to default to looking for an additive change or solution – i.e. adding something in.
We typically only consider a limited number of potential alternatives when looking for solutions, as the cognitive burden of mentally searching for all possible options would be too huge! However because of this, we’re at risk of accepting an adequate rather than exceptional solution because we tend to overlook subtractive changes – i.e. taking something away from the situation!
The authors suggest that this tendency could be a contributing factor to a number of modern problems – including our overburdened schedules, the increasing amount of institutional red tape and our continued negative impact on the planet.
The full research reference is given below:
Adams, G.S., Converse, B.A., Hales, A.H. & Klotz, L.E. (2021). People systematically overlook subtractive changes. Nature; 592 (7853): 258.
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