Intuition has been defined as the ability to acquire knowledge without using any conscious reasoning or requiring an explanation. Different scientific fields of inquiry use the word “intuition” in very different ways, such as direct access to unconscious knowledge, unconscious thought, gut feelings; inner seeing, inner insight to unconscious pattern-recognition, and the ability to understand something instinctively without the need for conscious reasoning. There’s debate among these fields as to whether or not intuitive knowledge is approximate or precise.
In psychology, different schools have looked at intuition in various ways. Sigmund Freud said that true knowledge could only be attained through intellectual made observations n the conscious mind. He rejected other means of acquiring knowledge such as intuition.
Carl Jung, a close colleague of Freud, called intuition an irrational function informed through perception via the unconscious, He believed that intuition cold be accessed by using sense-perception as a starting point to bring forth ideas, images, possibilities, and ways out of a blocked situation.
Jung went on to further elaborate his theories of intuition, stating that a person in whom intuition is dominant is an “intuitive type” that acts not on the basis of rational judgment but on the sheer basis of perception. He further elaborated that an extroverted intuitive type orients to new and promising but unproven possibilities, often leaving to chase after a new possibility before old ventures have been realized and is in the constant pursuit of change. An introverted intuitive type orients from information from the unconscious seeking to perceive the meaning of events, but often having no particular interest in playing a role in those events. Jung thought that extroverted intuitive types were likely entrepreneurial whereas the introverted intuitive types were likely mystics or prophets.
In modern psychology, intuition has been dissected to encompass the ability to know valid solutions to problems and the making of decisions. More scientific in nature, these models examine the human potential of intuition.
The recognition-primed decision (RPD) model, developed by Gary Klein, discusses how people have the ability to make relatively quick decisions without comparing options. Klein determined that under time pressure, high stakes, and changing parameters, people could use their experience to identify similar situations and intuitively choose feasible solutions. The RPD model is a blend of intuition and analysis in which intuition is a pattern-matching process that provides possible courses of action.
Instinct Versus Intuition
There is also debate among scholars as to the relationship between instinct and intuition. Some experts believe that instinct is often misinterpreted as intuition. Of course there are distinct differences with some respects, For example, certain aspects of instinct are dependent on past knowledge. This could be a person who has had more experience with children who might then tend to have better instincts about what they should do in certain situations with them. However, someone’s experience in a particular area may in turn inform their intuition.
Of course, testing intuition can be tricky. Intuitive abilities were quantitatively tested in the 1970s at Yale University. It was somewhat by accident in that while studying nonverbal communication, the researchers found that some subjects were able to read nonverbal facial cues before reinforcement occurred. They saw that highly intuitive subjects made decisions quickly, but were not able to identify their rationale behind their decisions. More importantly, their level of accuracy did not differ from the non-intuitive subjects.
Intuition and Recognition
According to psychologist Daniel Kahneman, intuition is the ability to automatically generate solutions without logical arguments or evidence. He identifies two different systems that people use when making decisions. The first system is in alteration of automatic or unconscious thoughts, and the second in charge of more intentional thoughts. The first is an example of intuition, and he asserts that people overestimate this system, using it as a substitution for knowledge they don’t actually have. Kahneman has said that intuition is really a type of recognition.
In terms of business, being experienced in your field allows you to rely on your gut feelings more accurately. For example, if you have years of experience in a specific area and you’ve performed extensive research on how to deal with a particular problem, solutions will often automatically materialize for you.
For many people, intuition, no matter how right it feels, is more reliable in some areas of inquiry than others. For example, it may be able to help you to generate new ideas, but don’t count on it for comprehending vocabulary, where reflective thinking usually better fits the task.
Randi Fredricks, Ph.D.
References
Giannini, A.J.; Daood, J.; Giannini, M.C.; Boniface, R.; Rhodes, P.G. (1978). “Intellect versus intuition–dichotomy in the reception of nonverbal communication”. Journal of General Psychology. 99: 19–24.
Kahneman, Daniel; Gilovich, Thomas; Griffin, Dale (2002). Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment. Cambridge University Press.
Epstein, Seymour (30 November 2010). “Demystifying Intuition: What It Is, What It Does, and How It Does It”. Psychological Inquiry. 21 (4): 295–312.
Rosenblatt, A.D.; Thickstun, J.T. (October 1994). “Intuition and consciousness”. Psychoanal Q. 63 (4): 696–714.
Gigerenzer, Gerd (2007). Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious. Penguin.
Angier, Natalie (2008-09-16). “Intuition and math: A powerful correlation”. The New York Times.
Walker Punerr, Helen (January 1992). Sigmund Freud: His Life and Mind. Transaction Publishers. pp. 197–200. ISBN 9781412834063. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
Jung, C.G. (1971). Psychological Types. Bollingen Series XX. Vol. 6. Princeton University Press.
Klein, Gary (January 2003). Intuition At Work. New York, N.Y.: Random House.
