Is there a Link Between Decisiveness and Accuracy?

In the world of psychology, those who tend to be decisive are called action-oriented, while those who have difficulty committing to a choice are known as state-oriented.

Researchers conducted experiments to explore the relationship between confidence and decisiveness, or more precisely action-oriented and state-oriented.

Dr Wojciech Zajkowski, the primary author of the study said, “What we found is that confidence was the only thing that was different.” The author goes on to say, “Meaning state-oriented people were just as good, and as fast at making those small choices, as were the action-oriented people. The action-oriented people were, however, much more confident.”

By using questionnaires and computer modelling, the team concluded that decisive people tend to be more confident about the decisions they have made. Doesn’t which group made the right choice, but those who doubt themselves were less confident about their final decision.

In this study, researchers found that confidence and high levels of action control are also strongly associated with decisiveness, although the sample size was relatively small, and the decisions were relatively straightforward.

According to the study authors, confidence could be a key factor that influences how likely we are to complete more complex challenges, regardless of our decisions. This confidence gap could explain why some people succeed while others don't.