Thinking Fast and Slow

Here is a journal that I wrote for my cognitive psych class. I thought the ideas were fascinating and I thought I would share. It isn't polished at all so it feels pretty convoluted, but you can probably pick up on the main theme.

In my recent reading time I have been working through Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. Although I am only one fifth of the way through, I have already begun to understand one of the main points of the book. Kahneman argues that we have two judgment systems; the ‘fast’ system he labels System 1, and calls the ‘slow’ system System 2. System 1 uses all sorts of quick ways to make judgments, it is intuitive, uses biases, preconceptions, availability heuristics; it is easy and effortless, takes little time and works with no conscious effort. In opposition to system 1, system 2 works using logic, compilation of data, analyzation of information; it is conscious, effortful and slow. Ironically, even though system 2 often has the advantage of accuracy, we tend to be more confident in the quick, snap decisions of system 1.

When I read chapter 6 in Cognition by Reisberg, I couldn’t help but compare the implicit and explicit memory section to what I had been reading in Kahneman’s book. The way that Reisberg described implicit memory, its advantages and disadvantages played along exactly with what Kahneman had to say. They both appreciate that there are positive and negative characteristics of implicit and explicit memory.

Implicit memory from Reisberg, just like System 1 from Kahneman, uses quick, unconscious processes. It is virtually impossible to consciously control implicit memory; it is almost by definition, unconscious. Making a connection, it seems that the similarity is that the two memory systems that Reisberg described do more than just correspond with the two judgment systems outlined by Kahneman; they seem to be the same thing. Implicit memory informs System 1 judgment calls. Likewise explicit memory is used when making decisions using System 2.

Before moving on to System 2, let us explore System 1. The two huge advantages that System 1 has are its ease, and speed of use. It happens all of the time, never stops working, never shuts down, never takes a break. It does not need to stop for a break because it works without us ever trying. In the same way that our heart beats without us consciously telling it to, we make decisions about our world without consciously trying to. Our automatic brain functions pull up implicit memories which inform implicit decisions. An example is that our familiarity with a certain group, people, or situation helps us quickly decide how to act. Psychologists like to call this kind of memory a schema. We have gone through a certain type of experience enough times to know what to expect and run on autopilot, depending upon implicit memory to inform our implicit decisions. I often make implicit decisions, I am sure that I most often miss the moment when I make a decision using this implicit process, but when I do catch it, I instantly start looking for reasons for my action. This is where System 1 hands the process over to System 2.

If System 2 were a person, people would describe it as a lazy, smart, unconfident individual. It only does its work when system 1 gives it a problem like the one in the example above. When it does receive a problem, many things happen, one of which is that our physiology changes; our sweat glands activate, our heart rate and breathing speed up and our pupils dilate. The change in physiology in an indicator that inside the head, System 2 has activated, we have started thinking in logical terms, trying to come up with a solution using our extensive explicit memory, sorting through to find the most reasonable answer. However, this process often fails to find the correct solution.

Reisberg wrote that we often attribute a memory to the wrong source; labeled source confusion. There are many times during any given day when we use a piece of information even though we don’t know its origin. When we ask how we know something, our System 2 tries to come online to answer the question. Sometimes System 2 is effective. An example of it working correctly is that I will remember correctly that Emily told me that she wrote R and L on her right and left hand before taking her driving test in order to be able to follow the oral instruction of her test instructor. However, if either I had failed to store the memory that Emily told me the story, or I failed to have the right cue to retrieve the memory, I will either say that I do not remember who I heard it from, or attribute the story to someone else. In this example, I embarrassingly forgot that Emily had told me this story about herself and told her the same story as if it were someone else who was terrible with their rights and lefts and wrote R and L on the back of their hand. She then reminded me that she had told me that story about herself.

What seemed to happen here was that my System 2, explicit memory, failed and left it up to my implicit memory to recall the story. The defining characteristic of the System 1 memory system is that it tends to know information whereas System 2 memory system remembers information. The important distinction is that it rarely happens that one can consciously remember when general information was learned, hence it is simply knowledge. In my example from Emily I knew the story, but I did not remember who had told me. It was only when I had the sufficient retrieval cue, her telling me that she had told me the story, that I was able to remember.

Although this is an extremely brief and convoluted reflection on the complexity of these two systems, it is easily apparent that the depth that is needed to understand the system goes far beyond the scope of a short writing. I continue to reflect on the interaction of the systems, tease out the differences, meditate on the strengths and weaknesses, and develop an intuitive along with thoughtful understanding of both systems.