‘‘Entertaining, intelligent, and easy to read, Myers’s book offers an abundance of research findings dealing with what is more aptly called the ‘nonconscious’ mind.’’—Choice ‘‘Myers not only succeeds in engaging laypersons and experts alike, but also communicates complex subjects with great facility and effectiveness. . . . This is a highly entertaining, exceedingly well-written book, which, to the novice, represents a powerful introduction into the scientific study of intuition, and to the scientist serves as inspiration to see connections between seemingly disparate phenomena that are kept neatly apart in the daily business of cognitive science.’’—Markus Kemmelmeier, Human Nature Review ‘‘This is a superb book—informative, absorbing, insightful—and I highly recommend it. While full of results based on scientific research, it is nevertheless faith friendly. Its information will enable the reader to better grasp reality and move in the direction of much needed empirical intuition.’’—Richard Ruble, Perspectives on Science & Christian Faith ‘‘This is a great book. It made me more aware of both the awesome capacities of the human mind and the caveats for analytical thinking.’’—Don Clifton, chairman, Gallup International Research and Education Center, past chairman, The Gallup Organization, and coauthor, Now Discover Your Strengths ‘‘Intuition is hot. But often it is perilously wrong. David Myers marshals classic and contemporary cognitive science and masterfully shows us why.’’—Elizabeth Loftus, past president, American Psychological Society Intuition Intu ition Its Powers and Perils David G. Myers Yale Nota Bene yale university press New Haven & London First Published as a Yale Nota Bene book in Proffitt, ‘‘The Price of Expertise: 2004. Effects of Experience on the Water- First published by Yale University Press in Level Task,’’ Psychological Science 6 2002. (1995): 90–95. Used with permission. Copyright ∫ 2002 by the David and Carol p. 136: Checkboard illustration Myers Foundation. courtesy Ruma Falk, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. All rights reserved. p. 221: Table courtesy Chance This book may not be reproduced, in whole Team, Dartmouth College, from or in part, including illustrations, in any form ‘‘Using Lotteries in Teaching a (beyond that copying permitted by Sections Chance Course,’’ August 1, 1998. 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), Printed in the United States of without written permission from the America. publishers. Library of Congress Control For information about this and other Yale Number: 2004102363 University Press publications, please contact: isbn 0-300-10303-4 (pbk.) U.S. office [email protected] Europe office [email protected] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. pp. 6, 24, 139: Illustrations from David G. Myers, Psychology, 6th ed. (New York: Worth, 2001). Used with permission. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 p. 7: Illustration courtesy Al Seckel (IllusionWorks.com), from The Art of Optical Illusions (London: Carlton, 2000). p. 53: Illustration courtesy Pawel Lewicki. pp. 104–108: BB and airplane exercises from Michael McCloskey, ‘‘Naive Theories of Motion,’’ in D. Gentner and A. L. Stevens (eds.), Mental Model (Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1983). Used with permission. Water-level exercise from H. Hecht and D. R. The heart has its reasons which reason does not know. —Pascal, Pensées, 1670 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool. —Proverbs 28:26 Contents Acknowledgments, ix Introduction, 1 part i. the powers of intuition 1 Thinking Without Awareness, 15 2 Social Intuition, 31 3 Intuitive Expertise and Creativity, 51 part ii. the perils of intuition 4 Intuitions About Our Past and Future, 67 5 Intuitions About Our Competence and Virtue, 87 6 Intuitions About Reality, 104 part iii. practical intuition 7 Sports Intuition, 133 8 Investment Intuition, 152 9 Clinical Intuition, 172 10 Interviewer Intuition, 187 11 Risk Intuition, 198 12 Gamblers’ Intuition, 213 13 Psychic Intuition, 226 Epilogue, 247 Notes, 251 Index, 309