Intuition is the ability to know something without thinking about it or understanding how you know it (Gigerenzer, 2007). It is the kind of knowledge that comes naturally, without needing to use conscious reasoning.
In psychology, intuition is often described as “unconscious cognition” or “unconscious pattern recognition” (Plessner et al., 2008). For example, when making decisions, intuition can help us choose without comparing all the options.
Experts have studied intuition, especially in decision-making situations. The recognition-primed decision model explains how people can make intuitive choices, especially when they are under time pressure (Klein, 2003). This model has been used in sports to understand how teams and individuals make natural decisions.
Researchers have developed tests and questionnaires to measure how different people use their intuition (Glöckner & Witteman, 2010). Interestingly, results suggest that factors like gender, handedness, and intelligence may not play as big a role in intuition as people commonly think.
Gigerenzer, G. (2007). Gut feelings: Short cuts to better decision making. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Glöckner, A., & Witteman, C. L. M. (Eds.), (2010). Foundations for tracing intuition: Challenges and methods. Hove, England: Psychology Press.
Klein, G. (2003). Intuition at work. New York, NY: Random House.
Plessner, H., Betsch, C., & Betsch, T. (Eds.), (2008). Intuition in judgment and decision making. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
