HR Matters | On Second Thought

LIT
	On Second Thought
Title : On Second Thought. Outsmarting Your Mind's Hard-wired Habits Author : Wray Herbert Publisher: Crown Publishers Year of publication: 2010 ISBN : 978-0-307-46163-6 Detail : hardcover 289 pages

July 2011 | In the inside flap, the argument is made - "Luckily, our brains have evolved a number of mental shortcuts, biases, and tricks that allow us to quickly negotiate this endless array of decisions.

We don't want to rationally deliberate every choice we make, and thanks to these cognitive rules of thumb, we don't need to. Yet, these hard-wired shortcuts, mental wonders though they may be, can also be perilous."

The acclaimed science writer, Wray Herbert skillfully uses many real-world examples backed by an astonishing array of compelling research to show us the issues that crop up with gut-instinct decision making and innate cognitive traps.

Interesting findings there are aplenty. Did you know that acknowledging unethical behaviour triggers thoughts of cleaning and cleanliness? Is it possible that the simplicity or complexity of how a task is described and processed actually has an effect on our attitude towards the task itself?

HR Matters Magazine
Issue 15 | July 2011
BECOMING A CRITIC
Of Your Own Thinking

Research findings showed that when students read written instructions for a regular exercise routine in an unadorned, accessible typeface, they were more open to the prospect of exercising. Likewise, those presented with the same information in difficult to read typeface (what looked like Japanese brushstroke), struggled through the information and had no intention to go the gym.

While some of the research description and studies may be hard going for the level of detail presented, it is a compelling read. I would have loved more information on how to overcome some of the challenges presented though.

Reviewed by Rowena Morais.

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