Intuition: Inferential Heuristic or Epistemic Mode?

Abstract

This study attempts to evaluate psychological concepts of intuition. Of the many definitions of intuition, two extremes emerge. One holds intuition to be an inferential heuristic, and the other defines it as a cognitive mode capable of immediate, non-inferential, holistic processing. Three inventories were administered that purport to measure intuition. The Intuitive Problem Solving Scale corresponds to the definition of intuition as inferential heuristic. The Psycho-Epistemological Profile and the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator define intuition as a non-inferential epistemic mode. Scores on these scales are correlated with scores on various inferential tasks, as well as with scores on measures of three traits usually associated with intuition (originality, private self-awareness, and creativity). Results indicate that intuition is not completely reducible to inference.