The Intuitive Advantage
Intuition and Prosociality: Are We Hardwired to Help?
In this episode, we delve into the intriguing connection between intuition and prosocial behavior—actions that benefit others, even at a personal cost.
- Intuition vs. Reflection: Is helping others an intuitive response, or does it require reflection? We explore the intuitive prosociality hypothesis and the social heuristic hypothesis (SHH), which suggest that prosocial behavior may be driven by gut instincts.
- Real-Life Experiment: We analyze a field study where participants had the chance to misuse a misdirected payout code. Did intuition guide them toward selfishness or helpfulness?
- Key Insights: Discover how intuition, prosocial attitudes, and human nature play a role in our moral decision-making.
Tune in to explore whether our instincts drive us to do good.
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- Broadcast on:
- 20 Sep 2024
- Audio Format:
- other
-Okay, so a picture of this, you're just, you know, flying through your inbox around, like, deleting spam, maybe organizing a little. -The usual morning routine. -Exactly. And then, boom, you see it, an email that's clearly meant for someone else, but it's not just any email. Oh, no, this one has a payout code, free money. -Ooh, that's a tempting situation. So what'd you do to try to cash it in? -Well, hold on, that's where things get interesting. See, this isn't about what I do, it's about some fascinating research. We're dieting into what drives generosity, are we, like, instinctively good, or does it take effort, you know, to resist being a little selfish? -The age-old nature versus nurture debate, but with free money on the line, this is good stuff. -Right. And that's what these researchers wanted to figure out. They set up this whole field experiment, sending out these misdirected emails, made them look totally real, like a genuine mistake. Then they sat back and observed how people reacted. -Okay, so they're tracking who cash is in, who doesn't, what else are they looking for? -They broke it down into three main reactions, selfish, trying to use the code, obviously, neutral, just ignoring it, and then helpful, taking the time to report the error. -Hmm, interesting. And I'm guessing they were looking at whether people who think of themselves as intuitive were more likely to be in that helpful category. -You would think, right, but get this, the study actually found something kind of surprising. -Surprising, huh? So spill the tea, what'd they find? Did those gut-feeling folks turn out to be big old softies? -Not quite. Actually, they found that people who generally scored higher on those intuitiveness tests, you know, the ones that measure how often you make quick gut-based decisions. Those folks were actually less likely to report the email. -Whoa, now that's a curveball. You'd think going with your gut would mean more, like, spontaneous acts of kindness, right? Not less. -Right. That was kind of their whole thinking going into it. They even had a name for it. Intuitive prosociality. But, well, their hypothesis kind of went out the window. -So, more to unpack here. It's not just intuitive people are generous, end of story. -Exactly. And here's the thing that made this study different. They didn't just, like, grab anyone off the street for it. These participants had actually been part of a lab study about six months earlier. And during that earlier study, the researchers measured their, like, baseline generosity levels. They used this thing called the prosocial personality battery. Kind of catch you, right? -Catchy title, for sure. But that's a good point. Having that baseline data, it lets you see how someone's usual tendencies line up with their actions in this email situation. Did they find a link between those pre-existing generosity levels and how folks responded to the email, I mean? -Oh, they did. And this is where it gets really interesting. Buckle up. When they factored in those pre-existing prosocial tendencies, that link between, like, feeling intuitive in the moment and actually being generous, gone poof. -So, it's more about who you are generally, not just how you're thinking in that split second. -It seems like it. Their baseline, their usual inclination towards generosity was a way bigger predictor of what they do than whether they were relying on intuition right then and there. -Fascinating. So, someone who's generally a very intuitive thinker could still be super generous, so long as they already value being helpful, prosocial, that kind of thing. -That's exactly what it suggests. And there's actually a theory that might explain this whole shebang. It's called the social heuristics hypothesis. Okay, so social heuristics hypothesis. Lay it on me. What's the connection to, you know, being a good person and all that? -So, think of it this way. Our brains, they're constantly developing these mental shortcuts, especially in social situations. - Makes sense, like rules of thumb. -Exactly. And these rules, they're based on our past experiences. So, let's say you've learned that helping others generally feels good, right? Strengthens bonds, maybe boosts your moods. -Good karma and all that. -Right. So, our intuition starts linking kindness with those positive outcomes, like a reward system. -So, it's not just some random feeling. Our gut is actually drawing on what's worked for us socially in the past. -Bingo, it's like our intuition is constantly checking this internal rule book, you know, about these social heuristics, guiding us based on what usually leads to good stuff. -That makes a ton of sense. So, it's not just about being an intuitive person. It's about what your intuition has learned to put first, based on, like you said, your values and all the stuff you've been through. -Exactly. And this study really shows how strong those ingrained values can be, especially when you have to make a quick decision, you know, like in that email scenario. -Right. Someone who's just wired to be helpful, they wouldn't even hesitate to report that lost cash. Their intuition is already like, "Nope, got to be generous, that's the move." -Whereas, someone who's more used to, you know, every man for himself, they might follow that instinct instead. -It's wild, right? It's like our past is literally shaping how our intuition sees the world now. -It really is. And, you know, this study focused on generosity, but think about it, this social heuristics hypothesis, it can apply to all kinds of decisions we make. Makes you think about all the little choices we make every day, huh? And the stuff we don't even realize is influencing them. Well, that is some serious food for thought for our listeners today. It's not just about whether you think you're an intuitive person, it's about getting to know those values that have shaped your gut feelings and realizing how they might be nudging you in one direction or another. -Absolutely. Time for a little self-reflection, maybe. See if those ingrained values are really the ones you want guiding you. -Love it. That's a perfect note to end on. Thanks for joining us for this deep dive, everyone. Remember, self-awareness is key, not just in knowing what we do, but why we do it. Until next time.