Key Terms & Definitions

Adaptive Unconscious: The part of our brains that makes snap judgments. Gladwell also calls it our internal computer.

Thin-Slicing: Our adaptive unconscious’ ability to find patterns in behaviors and situations based on limited experience.

Snap Judgment: The product of our adaptive unconscious, snap judgments are the opinions we form in the blink of an eye.

Locked Door: The locked door refers to the fact that we have trouble explaining the logic behind our snap judgments. Thus Gladwell says that our snap judgments take place behind “a locked door”.

Mind Reading: Mind reading refers to the ability to tell what people are thinking by reading their facial expressions.

Priming: Priming is the act of influencing a person’s actions through the use of subconscious signals.

Warren Harding Error: The downside of thin-slicing, the Warren Harding Error is what happens when people make judgments based on visual cues.