Intuition: A fundamental bridging construct in the behavioural sciences

Abstract

The concept of intuition has, until recently, received scant scholarly attention within and beyond the psychological sciences, despite its potential to unify a number of lines of inquiry. Presently, the literature on intuition is conceptually underdeveloped and dispersed across a range of domains of application, from education, to management, to health. In this article, we clarify and distinguish intuition from related constructs, such as insight, and review a number of theoretical models that attempt to unify cognition and affect. Intuition's place within a broader conceptual framework that distinguishes between two fundamental types of human information processing is explored. We examine recent evidence from the field of social cognitive neuroscience that identifies the potential neural correlates of these separate systems and conclude by identifying a number of theoretical and methodological challenges associated with the valid and reliable assessment of intuition as a basis for future research in this burgeoning field of inquiry.

The Job Demands and Resources Decision Making (JD-R-DM) Model

“…Further research is needed for a consensus around analytical and intuitive decisionmaking styles and usage (Hodgkinson, Langan-Fox, & Sadler-Smith, 2008;Milkman et al, 2009). The inconsistent definitions of intuition make its role in decision making elusive, and therefore difficult to measure (Sinclair, 2010).…”

“…The inconsistent definitions of intuition make its role in decision making elusive, and therefore difficult to measure (Sinclair, 2010). We view intuitive decision making similar to Hodgkinson et al (2008): Intuiting is a complex set of inter-related cognitive, affective and somatic processes, in which there is no apparent intrusion of deliberate, rational thought. Moreover, the outcome of this process (an intuition) can be difficult to articulate.…”

“…Understanding and implementing more holistic processes may be the key to unifying a majority of scientific disciplines, and therefore managers, educators, and scientists cannot continue to ignore the research supporting its positive effects (Hodgkinson et al, 2008). It is also important and possible to create work environments that embrace rather than discount the known beneficial effects that intuitive processes can bring into medical practice.…”

Publishing at the interfaces of psychology and strategic management

“…Several of the latter pieces have targeted much broader/less restrictive content at much broader audiences. Illustrating this alternative approach more generally, two of my relatively recent pieces -'intuition: a fundamental bridging concept in the behavioural sciences' (Hodgkinson, Langan-Fox, and Sadler-Smith, 2008) and 'cognition in organizations' (Hodgkinson and Healey, 2008a) -were targeted very broadly, with the intention in each case of initiating a series of conversations that would cut across specialist subfields, with a view to fostering more highly innovative theory and research.…”

“…The Hodgkinson, Langan-Fox and Sadler-Smith (2008) article was intended to provoke scholars working within the various specialist areas of academic psychology (e.g. cognitive psychology, social cognitive neuroscience, personality psychology) and its main applied areas (e.g.…”