That Empty Gut Feeling

So, with everyone grazing all day long, what does that say about people in decision making roles? Another article from the 11/14/2014 Week Magazine.

If you’re facing a big decision, a new study suggests you may want to make it before lunch. Researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands found that test subjects who were hungry were more likely to make better decisions—and reap greater rewards—than those who were well fed, DiscoverMagazine​.com reports. In the study, several groups of students took the Iowa Gambling Task, a series of risk/reward scenarios that mimics real-life decision making. They found that most subjects were better at making quick decisions while hungry and were also more likely to opt for greater long-term rewards over immediate gratification. The findings contradict conventional wisdom, as psychiatrists have long held that being in a “hot state” of emotional or physical duress can cause people to make hasty, irrational decisions. Instead, researchers said, it appears that people in hot states may rely more on their gut feelings, which help them make complex decisions.