In psychology, intuition refers to instant comprehension, reasoning or analysis is not needed. It is oftentimes a ‘gut feeling’ or instinct that helps decision-making, particularly when there is a lack of time or information. As an example, a person might meet someone new and instantly feel trust or distrust for them, and not be able to explain why. Psychological research suggests that intuition stems from mental ‘short cuts’ based on previous experiences.
Kahneman’s on System 1 and System 2 thinking highlights this—System 1 (‘intuitive thinking’) is fast and emotional, while System 2 (‘analytical thinking’) is slow and methodical. Intuition is a powerful tool in expert fields, such as medicine when doctors perceive subtle patterns within a diagnosis, or in firefighting when there is a sense of impending danger. But, it can also be based on incomplete experiences and therefore decision can be questionable.
Current psychology sees intuition as an ‘imperfect’ yet valuable tool. It, when fused with critical thinking, helps in decision-making, fosters creativity, and adaptive solution finding.