Many factors influence a person’s decision-making process: from personal to spontaneous, depending on the situation. While some elements of the first category can be objectively assessed, random variables such as emotions and instincts are more challenging to determine. However, they play a crucial role in human decision-making, sometimes eclipsing even rational arguments. This essay aims to prove this thesis and explain how emotional appeal and instincts influence decision-making.
The existence of an emotional attachment can cause a person to make completely illogical choices that will seem right to them. This topic was explored in a double-blinded experiment to see if musicians could distinguish antique Italian violins by sound alone (Edwards, n.d.). However, the vast majority of participants in the investigation could not determine the modern instrument from the famous one (Edwards, n.d.). Consequently, with the disappearance of visual information regarding the violin, the musicians were forced to choose based not on emotions from interacting with antiques but on the experience of playing. This fact is proof that emotions, such as delight in front of a famous instrument, significantly influence decision-making and can override such objective parameters as sound quality.
Instincts also manifest themselves in a person’s daily life, allowing them to respond to changing situations quickly. However, as research shows, they do not always help make the right decision (Couchman, 2015). According to the multiple-choice exam experiment, in most cases, the answers based on the first thought turned out to be wrong. On the contrary, with further revision, students often changed the incorrect answer to the correct one (Couchman, 2015). This demonstrates that instincts are based on current feelings rather than an apparent knowledge base. Decisions made in this way can be beneficial when a situation needs to be decided on current conditions. However, the students interviewed were confident that the answers provided by first instincts were correct (Couchman, 2015). This fact only emphasizes the existing stereotypes and their importance for decision-making.
Thus, it can be concluded that both emotions and instincts are essential parts of decision-making. However, they do not always help make a more rational decision since both of these elements can drown out objective evidence in favor of momentary sensations. This does not mean they are harmful: emotions emphasize a person’s individuality, and instincts allow finding a way out in a suddenly changed situation. Therefore, humans can successfully and safely apply these factors, but not in all conditions.
References
Edwards, V. (n.d.). A tale of two violins. Muse Magazine.
Couchman, J. J. (2015). Should you rely on first instincts when answering a multiple choice exam? The Conversation.