When not to go with your gut

Before hiring an accountant to do your taxes, try brainstorming the qualities you’re looking for. In a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers analyzed episodes of The Voice and found that while contestants initially said they cared more about a coach’s expertise (a quality shown in a separate study to help people improve the most), they tended to pick the coach with the most enthusiasm. The authors say this decision-making quirk is due to a “prediction error,” where we get swayed by our heart, but they say making a checklist can help us make the wisest choice.