Why Don't You Sleep On It?

thefirelane wrote to mention a New Scientist study that indicates your subconscious mind is a better decision maker than you are. From the article: "The research suggests the conscious mind should be trusted only with simple decisions, such as selecting a brand of oven glove. Sleeping on a big decision, such as buying a car or house, is more likely to produce a result people remain happy with than consciously weighing up the pros and cons of the problem, the researchers say. Thinking hard about a complex decision that rests on multiple factors appears to bamboozle the conscious mind so that people only consider a subset of information, which they weight inappropriately, resulting in an unsatisfactory choice. In contrast, the unconscious mind appears able to ponder over all the information and produce a decision that most people remain satisfied with."

Re:Brighter in the morning?

[CatsupBoy]

Funny thing is, I dont believe sleep was even introduced into the study. They had people work on puzzles while mulling over a decision.

So, while your point may be valid, sleeping would actually introduce more variables into the study then did the actuall method used in the study.

Re:Hmmmm

[CastrTroy]

I've seen this happen on more than one occasion. Mostly I notice it with video games. I'll try for 2 hours to complete a task and not even complete it. Then, the next day I'll get it first try. My opinion is that your brain works through a lot of stuff when you're sleeping. I think this is why babies need a lot of sleep. Everything is new to them, and their brain needs a lot of time to process all that new information. I also find it easier to learn something new if I do it over a longer period, than trying to cram everything in at once. Instead of working 3 hours, you work on something in 1 hour sessions for 3 days. You retain the information a lot better.

That's ``unconscious''

[General Lee's Peking]

I had a psychology teacher who pointed out that the term ``subconscious'' is pretty much a Hollywood popularized word. You're either talking about being conscious or not being conscious, that is, unconscious. The writer of the article seems to agree with her because they don't use the term subconscious. Sorry to nitpick, but the word unconscious communicates the idea more clearly, while the subconscious is vague. Besides, I think it's safe to say that if you're asleep, you're unconscious.

Re:Interesting Research

[MyNameIsFred]

The other guy's insurance company gave me three days to get a replacement vehicle. I asked friends what to do.

Your mistake was accepting the three day limitation. I was in a similar situation. They gave me an unreasonable offer. In a calm voice, I said, "That is not reasonable. And need I remind you that YOUR client was at fault. Call me back with a reasonable offer." I hung up. 30 seconds later they called back with a reasonable offer. Insurance companies like to make all sorts of demands, if they are unreasonable say no.

Re:Shower Smarts, Too!

[AKAImBatman]

If my memory serves me, the grid was shaped like this:

QQQQQQQQ
**[][]**
[][][][]
**[][]**
QQQQQQQQ

(Ignore the Qs and the *s. They're to get around the lameness filter.)

I *think* I still remember the solution too. The key is to figure out the 1 and 2. Once you have those down, the rest follows naturally. :-)

This is well-known

[AggressiveOptimist]

A few years ago, Dr. Herbert Benson came out with his book "The Breakout Principle" which describes and explains what this article is about. Basically, interrupting or changing context (go for a walk, solve unrelated puzzles, visit the gym, meditate) when you've reached a sticking point in a project will increase your effectiveness when you return to your task. Benson attributes this to bursts of nitric oxide in your brain, IIRC.

When we consider how much really occurs inside us without conscious thought, is this any surprise? Try walking up and down the stairs while consciously thinking about how you're doing it. Or how about language- your comprehension and speaking of your native tongue is largely unconscious as well.

Next time you're stuck in a coding problem, try it out. Go enjoy some absorbing activity for perhaps as little as 15 minutes, making sure to change conscious contexts, and then come back to your original task with a fresh viewpoint.

Re:Shower Smarts, Too!

[jonaskoelker]

Very interesting.

If you are 32 years old, you have `only' left out 11867 nights. I assume you didn't solve any puzzles those nights (mod me -1 flamebait if you want...).

On a serious note, though, we humans have a great tendency to remember the spectacular incidences and forget the nonspectacular ones. Bear this in mind when you read anyone's anecdotes, and tell anecdotes yourself (and, especially, bear this in mind when someone makes claims about `supernatural phenomena').

Keeping-both-your-feet-on-the-ground-'ly yours,

Jonas