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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Does Unconscious Thought Outperform Conscious Thought On Complex Decisions? A Further Examination, Scott Andrew Withrow, Todd J. Thorsteinson
Does Unconscious Thought Outperform Conscious Thought On Complex Decisions? A Further Examination, Scott Andrew Withrow, Todd J. Thorsteinson
Psychology Faculty Publications
Two experiments examined the benefits of unconscious thought on complex decisions (Dijksterhuis, 2004). Experiment 1 attempted to replicate and extend past research by examining the effect of providing reasons prior to rating the options. Results indicated no significant differences between the conditions. Experiment 2 attempted to replicate the findings of Dijksterhuis, Bos, Nordgren, and van Baaren (2006) and determine if a memory aid could overcome the limitations of conscious thought on complex tasks. Results revealed that a memory aid improved decisions compared to the conscious thought condition. Participants in the unconscious thought condition did not perform significantly better than did …
Are Maximizers Really Unhappy? The Measurement Of Maximizing Tendency, Scott Edward Highhouse, Dalia L. Diab, Michael A. Gillespie
Are Maximizers Really Unhappy? The Measurement Of Maximizing Tendency, Scott Edward Highhouse, Dalia L. Diab, Michael A. Gillespie
Psychology Faculty Publications
Recent research suggesting that people who maximize are less happy than those who satisfice has received considerable fanfare. The current study investigates whether this conclusion reflects the construct itself or rather how it is measured. We developed an alternative measure of maximizing tendency that is theory-based, has good psychometric properties, and predicts behavioral outcomes. In contrast to the existing maximization measure, our new measure did not correlate with life (dis)satisfaction, nor with most maladaptive personality and decision-making traits. We conclude that the interpretation of maximizers as unhappy may be due to poor measurement of the construct. We present a more …