How We Decide Review: A Comprehensive Survey of Decision-Making
A colleague once remarked to me that certain academically-oriented books are so accessible, so fun to read, and so compelling that they are like “scientific candy.” Jonah Lehrer’s How We Decide certainly has the pith and the readability of such candy, but it also has a surprising depth of insight and careful structuring that set it apart.
He brings the science to the reader via understandable analogies and examples ranging from Tom Brady’s strengths as a quarterback to the Gulf War. Unlike other types of candy, Lehrer’s blend never is too simplistic, too one-dimensional, or too focused to be unable to step back and look at the big picture.
In fact, Lehrer consistently maintains his breadth of discussion and the progression of his dialogue builds and expands until, at its conclusion, the reader is left with an understanding of how emotions and rationality shape our decision and when one, the other, or a careful mix of both is most suitable. Lehrer is not an innovator or putting forward new knowledge; he is providing a well-researched medium between the average person and contemporary academic research in the social sciences.
For a business-oriented audience, there is much of interest here. Lehrer takes a close look at the various kinds of decisions that individuals are faced with and explains the mechanisms behind each one. Sometimes not thinking at all is the best way to make the best choice. Using professional athletes as examples – the quarterback dropping back in the pocket or the baseball slugger waiting for a pitch – Lehrer shows that thinking leads to failure; a professional needs to trust their wealth of prior experience, trust their intuition, and move as quickly as possible. Because they have been exposed to the same defensive blitzes and fastballs thousands of times, they can subconsciously read a situation with lightning-fast ability. The flip side of that coin is that often we are faced with decisions where we don’t have limitless experience, and in such novel situations like having to crash-land a malfunctioning jet, only through careful reasoning can a solution become clear.
Lehrer also examines how emotions aid us in decision-making and what situations call for an emotional decision. When buying a car, looking too much at spreadsheets of available options and specifications, one can quickly lose themselves in a quagmire of data overload. In such circumstances, after spending some time doing research, simply going with which option you feel best about is often the best solution. Similarly, Lehrer cited a study where participants were allowed to choose between five posters. Those in the control group were given their favorite poster and allowed to leave, while the experimental group were asked why they liked their chosen poster. Those that had to find a reason behind their choice were more regretful of their choice and significantly less satisfied than those that did not have to explain their emotional response.
Ironically, it is in this lack of explaining why we like a poster or choose a car that I find my greatest criticism of How We Decide. Lehrer makes it clear that by not pursuing this question, we are often more satisfied with our decisions, and I believe him wholeheartedly. However, in a book devoted to the human decision process, a section is warranted discussing or pointing out a need for an academic investigation of what drives these behaviors. What are the mechanisms at work that actually create these emotions? The title suggests a deeper level of explanation of these mechanisms. The information in How We Decide can help marketers by providing insight into the different kinds of decisions facing each of us every day and the best way to make a decision based on the context. But without understanding what allows us to make these kinds of decisions, what creates the tools of emotion that guide us, our hands are more or less tied with no control over these black box variables.
Jonah Lehrer’s narrative incorporates wide variety of other unmentioned components that influence how we decide in specific circumstances such as the role of certainty, moral function, and emotional control, but to accurately relate his well-written and expansive conclusions would take many pages. For that reason, this text is an excellent source for understanding ourselves, and for marketers, understanding at an introductory level how consumers think and make decisions. Those in the advertising world need to understand that when they are targeting a consumer, that person’s response will vary severely depending on how that ad is portrayed and the person’s emotional and circumstantial states. The better companies can understand how what they offer affects a potential consumer’s mind, the more likely it is that their efforts will meet success. How We Decide can bring all of us a lot closer to such an understanding, but will not guide our way into the unexplored and undiscovered depths of the fundamental biological mechanisms behind our behavior.
Jonah Lehrer continues to educate the masses on human behavior with regular updates on an insightful and interesting blog.
How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer ***** / 5 of 5 stars
Enjoyable Reading: 5/5
Applicable to Business: 4/5
Behavioral Insight: 5/5
