What Color is Your Decision?

PEOPLE WHO SEE THE WORLD AS BLACK AND WHITE TEND TO...

Speak their mind or make quick decisions.
Be more predictable in making decisions (e.g., who they vote for).
Be less anxious about making wrong choices.
Have relationship conflicts that are less drawn out.
Be less likely to consider others' points of view.

PEOPLE WHO SEE THE WORLD IN SHADES OF GRAY TEND TO....

Procrastinate or avoid making decisions if possible.
Feel more regret after making decisions.
Be thoughtful about making the right choice.
Stay longer in unhappy relationships.
Appreciate multiple points of view.

Seeing the world as black and white, in which choices seem clear, or shades of gray can affect people's path in life, from jobs and relationships to which political candidate they vote for, researchers say. People who often have conflicting feelings about situations—the shades-of-gray thinkers—have more of what psychologists call ambivalence, while those who tend toward unequivocal views have less ambivalence.

High ambivalence may be useful in some situations, and low ambivalence in others, researchers say. And although people don't fall neatly into one camp or the other, in general, individuals who tend toward ambivalence do so fairly consistently across different areas of their lives.

One of the most widely studied aspects of ambivalence is how it affects thinking. Because of their strongly positive or strongly negative views, black-and-white thinkers tend to be quicker at making decisions than highly ambivalent people. But if they get mired in one point of view and can't see others, black-and-white thinking may prompt conflict with others or unhealthy thoughts or behaviors.

Ambivalent people, on the other hand, tend to systematically evaluate all sides of an argument before coming to a decision. They scrutinize carefully the evidence that is presented to them, making lists of pros and cons, and rejecting overly simplified information.

For full article and credits:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703694204575518200704692936.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

ZDT Author’s Comments:
Interesting...