The Science and The Scientists

Below is a quick guide to the science underpinning the deck and website. Plus your chance to meet the ‘scientists’ who developed the project.

Daniel Kahneman photographed on a blue aqua background
“Thinking is to humans as swimming is to cats; we can do it if we have to, but we’d much prefer not. ”
Daniel Kahneman
Nobel Prize for Economics, 2002
Author of Thinking Fast and Slow
Change For Good - By Bernard Ross and Omar Mahmoud - book cover

Want to read more about the key ideas?

Download a summary of the original breakthrough book that has inspired activists and fundraisers globally to adopt decision science as their methodology for engaging supporters.

Download Summary
In the traditional model of human decision-making humans are rational beings with a brain that makes choices by weighing up advantages and disadvantages, clarifying costs and benefits, and then taking action based on personal utility. But what if the reality is that this assumption isn't true?

Reality tells us that this is not the case. Instead, we often make decisions and choices that can be characterised as predictably irrational – that is not rational, but at the same time not random. Instead our rationality is bounded and based on a number of unconscious biases, useful recognition patterns or fast choice frameworks. Collectively these are called heuristics. Most of these heuristics have a useful purpose and are designed to help us make speedy effective choices. But they can have unintended consequences.

The discipline we call decision science draws on three areas:

Three principles Venn diagram: Evolutionary Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavioural Economics

Two systems for decision making

We’ll also look at the model, developed by Daniel Kahneman, Nobel prize winner, suggesting that we have two mental systems we use to make decisions: System 1 is fast, subconscious, intuitive, and emotional: auto-pilot. System 2 is slow, conscious, reflective, and rational: pilot. Most of the time we use System 1 to make decisions. System 2 checks those decisions, usually endorses them, and on rare occasions modifies or stops them.

System

System 1

System 2

Characteristics
  • Fast, effortless, unconscious
  • Looks for patterns
  • Creates stories to explain events
  • Slow, effortful, conscious
  • Looks for logic
  • Uses analysis to explain events
Advantages
  • Responds quickly in a crisis
  • Comfortable with the familiar
  • Makes associations
  • Demands consideration
  • Weighs up pros and cons
  • Establishes consequences
Disadvantages
  • Jumps to conclusions
  • Unhelpful emotional responses
  • Makes ‘mistakes’ unconsciously
  • Slow to decide
  • Requires energy and effort
  • Becomes tired thinking

System

Characteristics

System 2
  • Fast, effortless, unconscious
  • Looks for patterns
  • Creates stories to explain events
System 2
  • Slow, effortful, conscious
  • Looks for logic
  • Uses analysis to explain events

Advantages

System 1
  • Responds quickly in a crisis
  • Comfortable with the familiar
  • Makes associations
System 2
  • Demands consideration
  • Weighs up pros and cons
  • Establishes consequences

Disadvantages

System 1
  • Jumps to conclusions
  • Unhelpful emotional responses
  • Makes ‘mistakes’ unconsciously
System 2
  • Slow to decide
  • Requires energy and effort
  • Becomes tired thinking

Meet the global team who designed the deck

Bernard Ross

Bernard Ross

Director of =mc consulting
UK

Clare Segal

Clare Segal

Director of =mc consulting
UK

Omar Mahmoud

formerly Global Head Insight, UNICEF International Switzerland

Martin Paul

Martin Paul

CEO, More Strategic
Australia

Marina Jones

Marina Jones

Executive Director of Development and Public Affairs, English National Opera UK

Thomas Kurmann

Thomas Kurmann

Director of Development,
Oxfam USA