Недавнее исследование, проведенное командой исследователей, выявило интересное явление: многие люди tend to believe that they have enough information to make informed decisions, even when they actually lack important data. According to the researchers, "people rarely stop to consider what information they might be missing, and instead, they assume that the portion of information they know is enough to understand the situation well."
To explore this phenomenon, the team conducted an experiment with 1261 participants who were asked to make a hypothetical decision about the merger or separation of two schools. Those who received only half of the information showed a strong bias towards the decision presented in the data they had seen, highlighting that decisions depend not only on the available information but also on the perception of its sufficiency.
The study concludes that it is essential for individuals to develop "metacognitive awareness" that allows them to question the amount and quality of information before forming judgments. These findings are expected to help foster a more informed and less polarized society by educating individuals in critical information evaluation skills.
The results suggest that even when complete information was provided after an initial decision was made, many participants continued to support their original choice. This phenomenon could be explained by the difficulty of changing an opinion once it has been formed based on incomplete information.
The study highlights the importance of recognizing the "illusion of adequate information" and its implications in a world where access to information is unequal. Furthermore, the effect of "false consensus" is evident, where it is assumed that the majority of people would make the same decision as one.
This psychological phenomenon shares similarities with "naive realism", which leads individuals to believe that their viewpoints are objective. The illusion of adequate information may hinder individuals from recognizing the validity of other perspectives, which in turn could exacerbate conflicts in various domains.
In summary, the study reveals the importance of questioning one’s own understanding of a situation and being open to different perspectives. Developing metacognitive awareness may be key to making more informed decisions and promoting empathy and understanding in society.
