Smartphones, wise decisions?

'Grappler's Delight'   (Photo by Jeff777BC)

History has shown, time and again, that smart people do not always make wise choices.  Add smartphones to the mix, and decisions can be skewed even further.

Researchers in the United Kingdom studied how the use of smartphones versus personal computers can influence decision-making.  They presented 1100 people with the classic “Trolley Problem,” a moral dilemma in which

participants theoretically decide who gets to live and who gets to die.

The study showed that people using smartphones are “more likely to make rational and unemotional decisions,” whereas those on PCs favored “action based on intuition and following established rules.”  Because people are so linked to their technology these days, it’s quite likely that their decision-making will also be.

Personal computers might allow for more holistic thinking than smartphones do.  The latter often focuses users on one quick task at a time, whereas PCs entail more leeway.  If the house is on fire, grab a smartphone.  Short of that, grapple away on a PC.

Resources

http://www.dnaindia.com/technology/report-smartphones-change-the-way-we-make-moral-decisions-study-2451554

Copyright May 27, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved