Processing that happens:
- Consciously, explicitly 
- Slower and sequential
- Higher cost of cognitive resources

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

System 2 thinking represents a mode of cognitive processing that is slow, deliberate, and analytical. This system is specifically activated for effortful tasks that require complex computations.

System 2 Thinking

Aronson, Elliot, and Joshua Aronson. The Social Animal. Worth Publishers, Macmillan Learning, 2018.

The Social Animal

Jobs of system 2

A state of expending considerable cognitive effort over a long period of time without having to exert will power. Known as an "Optimal experience". It is a state of "effortless concentration, so deep they lose their sense of time, of themselves and their problems"

flow

A process primarily accomplished by system 2 where people question their beliefs and change them accordingly. Evidence for this comes from experiments where people who were exposed to cognitive strain, were more likely to believe false statements (be coerced). System 2 is not biased to believe.

Unbelieving 

Controlled processing

System 1 and System 2 are two distinct modes of cognitive processing. System 1 is characterized by fast, automatic, intuitive, and emotional thinking that operates effortlessly to guide daily decisions, judgments, and impressions. In contrast, System 2 is slow, deliberate, and analytical, engaged for effortful and complex computations.

Comparison of System 1 and System 2 Thinking

A person is presented with the following puzzle: 'A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?' Their immediate, intuitive answer is '10 cents.' However, upon reflection, they realize this is incorrect. They then deliberately work through the algebra (e.g., B + (B+1.00) = 1.10) to arrive at the correct answer of '5 cents.' Which of the following statements best analyzes the cognitive process that led to the correct answer?

Analyze the investor's cognitive process in this scenario. Based on the principles of deliberate, analytical thinking, what specific cognitive failure occurred, and how could it have been prevented?

Evaluating a Financial Decision-Making Process

Imagine a university student is writing a research paper and comes across a study that strongly supports their pre-existing argument. Their initial reaction is to immediately accept the study's findings and incorporate them as strong evidence. However, they then pause and decide to spend the next hour carefully examining the study's methodology, sample size, potential for author bias, and how the data is interpreted. They end up identifying several critical flaws that weaken the study's conclusions. Analyze the cognitive shift that occurs between the student's initial reaction and their subsequent detailed examination. In your analysis, describe the key characteristics of the mental processing involved in the detailed examination phase.

Learn Before

Related