A recent study conducted at the University of Waterloo has revealed a potent inclination among humans toward straightforward and practical solutions when pursuing objectives
Claudia Sehl, a doctoral candidate specializing in developmental psychology, spearheaded the study and provided insight into people’s natural tendency to favor simplicity.
The study highlights that when it comes to understanding events or reaching desired results, individuals tend to choose the path of least resistance, favoring clear-cut and dependable explanations
The investigation, which spanned seven different experiments involving more than 2,800 participants, found a shared propensity for choosing the simplest, most dependable routes over more intricate ones. Sehl, in collaboration with developmental psychology professors Ori Friedman and Stephanie Denison, illuminated our mental bias toward effective procedures.
The research discovered that people generally find causes that are more familiar and consistent to be more appealing than those that are infrequent or uncertain
Sehl noted, “The rule of thumb becomes: The more usual and dependable a cause, the better we like it as both a justification and a means to an end.”
This pronounced preference for simplicity hints at a broader cognitive bias for efficiency
The study’s conclusions indicate that when making sense of an occurrence or executing plans, simpler and trustworthy causes are preferred due to their perceived swiftness and overall efficacy.
Ori Friedman expanded on the significance of the findings, stating, “Our study reveals that there’s a significant emphasis on efficiency, which is the concept of maximizing outcomes with minimal resources, and this emphasis undoubtedly influences how people reason about both explanations and achievements”
Published on October 7, 2024, in the journal Cognitive Psychology with the title “Doing things efficiently: Testing an account of why simple explanations are satisfying,” the study’s results are poised to impact various domains, such as education and strategy development, underscoring the efficacy of adopting efficient, straightforward solutions for successful outcomes.
