Intuition Versus Deliberation: How Decision Mode Influences Desirability and Feasibility Preferences

In the present research, we documented a novel but largely ignored the effect of intuition versus deliberation on individuals' preferences between desirability and feasibility. Our findings in different domains demonstrate that when making a decision involving a tradeoff between desirability and feasibility, intuition leads to a relatively stronger preference for high-desirability-low-feasibility options, whereas deliberation leads to a stronger preference for low-desirability-high-feasibility options. Furthermore, we proposed and found that construal level served as the underlying process of the effect. When individuals are induced by a higher level of construal (e.g., deciding for others or for the distant future), the difference in their preferences between intuition versus deliberation is attenuated. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.