Dual Process Theory: A Simple Summary

Dual Process Theory

Dual process theory covers a wide range of theories used to explain how people think. Early thinkers like William James noted differences between intuitive and deliberative thought, and these ideas evolved into modern dual-process theory, developed in the 1970s by researchers such as Wason, Evans, and later Stanovich and Sloman. At its core is a simple idea: humans have two fundamentally different ways of thinking. These dual processes give rise to the name dual process theory.

Type 1 is evolutionarily older, more automatic, instinctive, implicit and unconscious. Type 2 is evolutionarily newer, intentional, effortful, explicit and conscious. It is worth noting that while Type 1 and 2 behaviours can be broadly categorised into these two camps, not all cognitive tasks can be neatly assigned due to contextual factors. The brain is messier than the models suggest (as it usually is).

Dual process theory continues to evolve. It remains a popular framework in cognitive psychology, has applications in learning theory and in how humans process and store information. More recently it has sprung up in behavioural economics as well. Danny Kahneman’s interpretations in his excellent book “Thinking, Fast and Slow“, helped bring these concepts to the mainstream.

Dual process theory also has a key role to play in understanding how we make decisions.

Type 1: Our Automatic Processor

Humans constantly function. Most of the time we do so without really thinking about it. We know what our senses are telling us, and we know what they mean we should do.

If we’re hungry, we should eat. If we’re a bit tired, we should sleep. If we see some information we dislike, we should ignore it… or perhaps not. We don’t think about walking. We don’t calculate the trajectory of our steps. We don’t use our knowledge of physics to help us throw a ball. All these things come naturally.

There are internal processes in our thinking and decision making that help us survive without conscious effort. It’s this automatic process that’s known as Type 1. We use it to get along in our daily lives without really needing to try too hard or think too much. When we are fatigued or under cognitive load, we may rely more on Type 1 processing due to reduced capacity for the effortful Type 2 thinking. Which is worth remembering the next time you make a questionable decision at the end of a long day.

This is economic in many ways. It’s fast, allowing us to respond almost instantly. It’s also often reasonably accurate and effective. And it reserves our mental energy for draining thoughtful effort when it’s really required. However, it can lead to bias in certain situations, and often does.

Type 1: Characteristics

Type 1 has lots of different characteristics. Some of the most important ones are as follows:

• It’s unconscious,
• Mostly automatic,
• Emotionally responsive,
• Implicit,
• Uncontrolled,
• Low effort,
• High capacity,
• Fast,
• More subjective (and experience / heuristic based),
• Evolutionarily old,
• Intuitive and associative.

Type 2: Our Controlled Thinking

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we either don’t have mental shortcuts to rely on, or where we need to be more than just reasonably accurate.

In these circumstances we need to focus. We need to consciously think our way through key factors and reach logical, calculated, informed decisions. To do this we need to slow our thinking down. We ignore our mental shortcuts, start from the building blocks of information that we have, and use logic to reach decisions and conclusions.

This way of thinking is known as Type 2 processing. It often produces better (or at least more reasoned) answers, but it’s effortful and slow. This process is excellent in some environments and situations, but dreadful in others. If you rely on Type 2 to calculate the moment when a leaping tiger will reach you and plot your escape, you’ll never finish your calculations.

Type 2: Characteristics

Type 2 has lots of different characteristics. Some of the most important ones are as follows:

• It’s conscious,
• Mostly voluntary,
• Mostly detached from emotions,
• Explicit,
• Controlled,
• High effort,
• Small capacity,
• Slow,
• More objective (and fact / rule based),
• Evolutionarily recent,
• Logical and rational.

Dual Process Theory in the Workplace

Here’s where it gets interesting for leaders and managers. Many of the challenges that individuals face in the world of work stem from the very natural tendency to predominantly use Type 1 thinking when Type 2 would serve them better.

In fact, most cases of sloppy thinking by otherwise capable individuals probably result from their use of Type 1 thinking. And this is entirely natural. Type 2 thinking requires a lot more effort and a lot more focus, which means that to use it, individuals normally need to be more motivated. How many of us genuinely engage Type 2 for every decision we make at work? Almost nobody. And that’s fine, most of the time.

We’ve seen this play out repeatedly in our work with leadership teams. A leader makes a snap judgment about a team member, gives feedback based on a gut feeling, or dismisses an idea in a meeting because it doesn’t “feel right” (not that instinct and gut feelings don’t have a place). None of these are bad instincts, necessarily. But when the stakes are high, the question worth asking is: am I actually thinking this through, or just reacting?

From a leadership perspective it’s helpful to be aware of these two different types of thinking. While Type 2 processing can lead to more deliberate and reasoned decisions, both types have strengths and limitations. The key is recognising which is appropriate in a given situation. Over-reliance on Type 1 processing when making decisions can appear misinformed or lacking robustness, whereas Type 2 requires conscious awareness of the why and can promote stakeholder buy-in because you can explicitly state the reasoning behind the decision.

In our experience, leaders who learn to notice which type of thinking they’re using, and develop the habit of deliberately switching to Type 2 when it matters, tend to make better decisions and build more trust with their teams. It’s not about eliminating Type 1. It’s about knowing when to slow down.

A Note on Dual Process Theory

Dual Process Theory captures a wide range of theories that are still evolving. In this article we have differentiated between Dual Process theory and Dual Systems theory. While commonly conflated, we ascribe to the following definition of Dual Process Theory:

Dual Process Theory – Provides an architecture for the interaction between intuitive (Type 1) and deliberate (Type 2) thinking.

Type 1 is fast, intuitive, and automatic. It draws on heuristics and prior experience and helps us function efficiently in everyday life.

Type 2 is slow, reflective, and deliberate. It requires conscious effort and is used for reasoning, analysis, and decision-making in unfamiliar or high-stakes situations.

Learning More

To go deeper, explore these resources on people-shift.com:

• We also think that that understanding your thinking and decision making processes (see metacognition) may help improve your emotional intelligence, motivation and increase your happiness.
• Unfortunately, some people use their knowledge of how others think and decide for their own ends. When nudging is used for these purposes is it known as sludge.

We love dual process theory. It’s a great theoretical landscape to help provide architecture to understand your own thinking and decision-making processes. We recommend reading “Thinking, fast and slow” and believe that the better your appreciation of your own thought processes is, the more effective of a thinker you will be.

Discussing the distinction between the two different types of processing with your team may be a helpful exercise. By increasing your team members’ understanding of dual process theory, and introducing common language in relation to it, it’s possible to more easily challenge sloppy thinking and increase performance.

It’s also worth noting that the heuristics of Type 1 thinking are the domain in which many things like unconscious bias live.

If you’re interested in learning more about some of the benefits of Type 1 thinking, you might enjoy some of the neuroscience work looking at our brains as prediction engines.