Published on
updated on
Reading 2 min.
Can a good night’s sleep really help you make a good decision, as the saying goes? Well yes, according to a very serious study from an American university. A problem? Come on, to bed!
When faced with a dilemma, a difficult decision to make that creates anxiety, your parents or confidants have probably already told you THE phrase: “Come on, sleep on it, the night brings counsel.” But is it? Can sleep really guide us to a solution? According to American researchers, there is indeed some reality in this popular idea, and the fruit of their study has been published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General on September 9th.
First impressions often blind us
Researchers at Duke University conducted an experiment with many participants online, using an imaginary garage sale. They asked participants to search through virtual boxes containing objects before estimating their value. Some objects were not worth much, unlike others that were hidden in the middle or at the bottom of the boxes. In some boxes, the valuable objects were on top, so that they could be immediately spotted when they were unpacked. When the participants had to make a decision, evaluate and choose the boxes, they tended to remember and judge the value of the latter based on the first elements that they had quickly encountered and not to persist in searching for valuable objects.
“When it comes to forming an overall opinion about something, it turns out that we are unduly influenced by the first piece of information we encounter, even when new facts emerge,” “The research is based on the findings of the study, and is based on the findings of the study,” said Allie Sinclair, lead author of the new research, in a statement.This is an example of a psychological phenomenon called primacy bias.”
Consult a doctor online for your sleep disorders
Taking the time to think helps us avoid the pitfalls
But a second part of the experiment showed a change in behavior. Some participants were asked to evaluate the boxes only the next day, after a good night’s sleep. Participants who had “slept” on their decision no longer had a preference for the first boxes, but for those that saved the best for last, those where the valuables were hidden at the bottom.
“Participants who were not asked to decide until the next day were less likely to fall into these traps.”the press release continues.
For researchers, this discovery confirms the usefulness of thinking carefully about one’s decisions, and why not, of giving oneself a night’s rest to do so (as grandma used to say!).Judging based on first impressions can actually be a good thing for making choices in the moment, but the idea of thinking before making a decision is full of wisdom.”the researchers concluded.
Slideshow: Sleep: How much sleep should we get depending on our age?