How to train the deliberate use of intuition

Abstract

We aim to investigate how to professionally train our skill at using intuition deliberately because prior research has shown that intuition has the potential to outperform the analytical mind, especially in complex and uncertain situations that will become only more frequent in the years to come. Teaching people to learn how to use intuition can be particularly decisive because it represents a crucial soft skill for the next generation of critical and creative thinkers. By applying advanced bibliometric analysis techniques in this mapping study, we systematically explore and visualize intuition research to highlight potential methods to train the skill of deliberately using intuition in the classroom. Our Web of Science data set comprises 7,680 peer reviewed documents with 253,986 references published by 166,649 authors through the end of 2021. Despite these high numbers, intuition is an underexplored scientific field characterized by methodological challenges, some of which are due to its unconscious nature. Our study offers first insights into research that can enhance the use of intuition. Our main goal is inspiring future research to help reveal intuition’s unexploited educational potential, which can then stimulate new teaching initiatives.