Recently I heard a discussion about the Cannes Film Festival on NPR. In his overview, critic John Powers mentioned that he had revised some of his original judgments later on. He was interviewed by Terry Gross.
GROSS: Would you have voted for it (winner “Winter Sleep”) for the top prize?
POWERS: Funny thing is – when I saw it, I wouldn’t have. I was tired and jet lagged and thought this movie will never end. And yet, as the week went on, it stayed in my head very, very well. And I realized that, in fact, it probably was the best film in the competition.
I find that rushing to judgment can be unwise because the quality of many decisions improves with reflection. However, in today’s age of instant communications, multi-tasking, and short timelines, everything moves quickly. Without time for deliberation, first responses rule the day and they are impacted by the situation in which a question is raised.
Context
John Powers mentioned that being jet lagged and fatigued undermined his ability to watch the movie objectively and he became impatient about the length. In retrospect, he began to reevaluate his original impression.
As this shows, context is critically important to our response of any experience. How we feel, what else is happening at the same time, and our personal associations with the situation determine how we will view the things that happen. That means that the same situation will be understood differently at another time. A gourmet meal will not taste as good if we are in the middle of a fight with our loved ones.
Just as John Powers revised his attitude to the movie “Winter Sleep” later on, early reactions can change over time. There are numerous studies that show the fluidity of opinions and we are demonstrably poor at predicting our own future reactions based on an earlier reactions. For instance, psychologists warn about basing hiring decisions on an interview. They explain that interviewers often fall victim to first impression error. To ensure the highest probability of selecting a great candidate, it is important for there to be additional means of assessment.
Emotions
There is no doubt that strong emotions, positive or negative, color any choices we make. When feelings cool, the decision might be radically different.
However, as studies show, people with high levels of emotional intelligence are less buffeted by their emotions. They are less likely to allow strong emotions to dominate decisions that will have long term consequences. Slower deliberations will reduce the risks that emotions will dominate. That results in decisions that you won’t regret later.
Social Contagion
Numerous studies show that individual’s opinions and attitudes are strongly influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of others in their communication network.
Laughter, anger, and fear are contagious. So are opinions. Riots, bank runs, boycotts, and impulse purchases can be motivated by being with others.
In a team, a bad apple can spoil the barrel. One disruptive member can undermine effective group function. Providing time for contributors to reach independent conclusions and share them simultaneously, will minimize the effect of negative influencers. It is also helpful to establish ground rules for interactions.
It is very important with feedback groups to limit the ability of one voice to dominate the others because social contagion is possible there as well. With juries, test audiences, product evaluators, etc., it is important to set the right tone and manage the participants. With well-run focus groups, for instance, uncontaminated original opinions are solicited and then the interactions of participants will enrich the information. Established guidelines describe how to avoid domination by unconstructive participants.
Decisions in Emergencies
When people need to be rescued or property is at eminent risk, however, reflection is a luxury. Trained personnel are trained to quickly respond to emergencies like fires and accidents. This kind of decision making cannot be deliberative and quick responses are imperative. As the immediacy of the need goes down and the timeline extends, a reasonable amount of reflection begins to improve the quality of the decision.
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