Objectives

Attention to individual differences in thinking style and their role in the emergence of cognitive biases has long been a significant concern in the field of decision-making across. In today's complex world, understanding why decision-makers, despite their expertise, fall into systematic errors is an undeniable necessity. One of the fundamental and prominent theories in this regard is the Dual-Process Theory, which explains that individuals use two distinct modes of thinking when analyzing and processing information: intuitive thinking (fast and unconscious) and rational thinking (slow and analytical). While each of these two modes can be useful in specific circumstances, their precise role in causing or preventing cognitive biases—particularly the "Bias Blind Spot"—remains a challenging and debated topic. The bias blind spot is a condition in which an individual remains unaware of their own biases but can easily detect them in others. Despite numerous studies on various types of biases, the role of intuitive and rational thinking in forming this specific error has received less attention. Therefore, the present study aims to fill this theoretical and practical gap by investigating the relationship between rational and intuitive thinking styles and the bias blind spot, considering the mediating role of cognitive reflection, to determine which information processing style can lead to a reduction in this cognitive blindness.

Research Method

Current research is quantitative and descriptive, utilizing a questionnaire as the data collection tool. The study population include Iranian university students and graduates from which 262 individuals who participated voluntarily in the study. To measure the research variables, standardized and scientifically valid questionnaires were used; specifically, the Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) was used to measure thinking style, the independent variable, the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) was used to evaluate the ability to override impulsive responses, the mediating variable, and the Bias Blind Spot scale was used to measure the dependent variable. After data collection, the analyses process was conducted at both descriptive and inferential statistics levels. Simple and multiple linear regressions were used to examine the direct relationships between variables. Furthermore, to analyze the mediating role of cognitive reflection, the PROCESS macro in SPSS software was utilized, which allows for a precise analysis of indirect effects and the significance of the mediator.

Results

The results of the descriptive statistics indicated that the mean age of the participants was 29.40 years with a standard deviation of 12.65, and the gender distribution indicated the active presence of both women and men in this study. The results of the regression analysis showed that rational thinking has a significant positive relationship with the bias blind spot; in other words, individuals who have a greater tendency to use rational thinking style are more susceptible to this bias, ignoring their own errors while focusing solely on judging others. Conversely, the findings indicate that the intuitive thinking style has a significant negative relationship with the bias blind spot, suggesting a different role for fast thinking system in dealing with this bias. Furthermore, process analysis results showed that cognitive reflection acts as a mediator on the relationship between rational thinking style and the bias blind spot.

Conclusion

The present study was conducted to investigate the role of thinking styles in the formation of the bias blind spot, and its results showed how rational and intuitive thinking can differently affect an individual's awareness or unawareness of their own cognitive errors. The final conclusion is that relying solely on rational thinking not only fails to prevent bias but may also lead the individual into false pride and unawareness (the blind spot) regarding personal errors. These findings highlight the importance of cognitive training and raising awareness among individuals, especially managers and high-level decision-makers. It is suggested that educational programs be designed with a focus on strengthening cognitive reflection so that individuals can analyze their own thought processes and escape the trap of unconscious biases. The application of these findings shows that to improve decision-making quality, one must focus on enhancing awareness of biases in addition to analytical skills.