About News Why Our Brains Miss Opportunities to Improve through Subtraction Apr 07, 2021 Erin Tor Why Our Brains Miss Opportunities to Improve through Subtraction In a new paper featured on the cover of Nature, Batten’s Gabrielle Adams, Benjamin Converse and co-authors explain why people systematically overlook subtractive improvements. Illustration courtesy of Nature.Leaders can encourage desired behavior by adding incentives or removing barriers. Designers can advance technology by introducing new features or eliminating extraneous parts. Writers can strengthen arguments by adding or deleting words. Yet, despite the promise of streamlined processes, simpler products and honed arguments, new research shows that people often fail to notice subtractive improvement opportunities because they are too quick to add. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Virginia—Gabrielle Adams, from the Batten School; Benjamin Converse, from the Batten School and the Department of Psychology; former Batten School postdoctoral researcher Andrew Hales (now a faculty member at the University of Mississippi); and Leidy Klotz, from the School of Engineering and Applied Science—have been collaborating on a series of observational studies and experiments to document and explore this phenomenon. Their new paper, featured on the cover of the April 8 issue of the journal Nature, shows that while people tend to think of additive changes quickly and easily, generating ideas for subtractive changes requires more cognitive investment. By accepting the first ideas that come to mind, people often miss out on opportunities to improve the world by subtraction. The authors suggest that a preference for additive ideas may be one reason that people struggle with overwhelming schedules, that institutions struggle with proliferating red tape and that the planet is approaching its resource limits. When people overlook subtraction, they may neglect “opportunities to make their lives more fulfilling, their institutions more effective, and their planet more livable.” The paper, which also is the subject of a Nature video, may be viewed here. Please continue to visit this page as new articles covering the paper’s findings are added. Ars Technica, "When asked to fix something, we don’t even think of removing parts" Behavioral Scientist, "Subtract: Why Getting to Less Can Mean Thinking More" CBC Radio, "When solving life's problems, people tend to add even when it's easier to subtract: study" Dagens Nyheter, "That's why it's so hard to be a minimalist" Daily Mail, "Less is more! People tend to add extra elements when asked to improve objects, ideas and situations - but removing them is actually more effective, study finds" The Economist, "Why people forget that less is often more" Forbes, "Business Leaders Often Overlook This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy When Making Career Decisions" Inverse, "You need to start using this psychology-based productivity hack" Science News, "People add by default even when subtraction makes more sense" Scientific American, "Our Brain Typically Overlooks This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy" Texas News Today, "It’s better to have less! Scientists say the human brain is having a hard time subtracting" UVA Today, "When It Comes to Problem-Solving, New UVA Study Finds That Less Is More" The Wall Street Journal, "How to Keep Your Cool When Markets Are Sizzling" Washington Post, "Humans solve problems by adding complexity, even when it’s against our best interests" ZME Science, "Our brain is hard-wired to make life more complicated rather than simple. Here’s a simple lifehack" Gabrielle Adams Gabrielle Adams is an associate professor of public policy and business administration at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and in the Darden School of Business’s Leadership and Organizational Behavior area. Adams studies the processes and dynamics that give rise to ‘good’ decisions, policies and conditions in organizations. Read full bio Benjamin Converse Benjamin Converse is an associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on motivation, social judgment, problem solving and decision making. He teaches courses related to leadership and negotiations. Read full bio Related Content Gabrielle Adams The “Equal-Opportunity Jerk” Defense: Rudeness Can Obfuscate Gender Bias Research In this research, we identified a barrier that makes sexism hard to recognize: rudeness toward men. We found that observers judge a sexist perpetrator as less sexist if he is rude toward men. Anger Damns the Innocent Research False accusations permeate social life—from the mundane blaming of other people to more serious accusations of infidelity and workplace wrongdoing. Importantly, false accusations can have grave consequences, including broken relationships, job loss, and reputational damage. In this article, we document an equally pernicious phenomenon—the misuse of anger as a cue to predict whether a suspect has been falsely accused. Meeting Overload Is a Fixable Problem News Batten School professor Gabe Adams spoke with American Talk about the benefits of adopting a subtraction mindset and how to get it done. When Less is More: How Harnessing the Power of Subtraction Can Add to Life News There’s a lot of thought that goes into adding things to our routines, our closets, our lives. But how much thought goes into subtracting things? Not enough, according to three University of Virginia professors. Benjamin Converse Better Sharing of “Eco-Innovations” Can Combat Rising Climate Despair Research Climate despair is emerging as a psychosocial threat. Ben Converse, associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Batten School, along with Batten post-doc Maura Austin and other UVA researchers, have found a potential source of hope that is underutilized. People systematically overlook subtractive changes Research A series of problem-solving experiments reveal that people are more likely to consider solutions that add features than solutions that remove them, even when removing features is more efficient. New Research: Sharing "Eco-Innovations" Can Ease Climate Despair News Climate despair is emerging as a psychosocial threat. Ben Converse, associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Batten School, and other UVA researchers have found a potential source of hope that is underutilized. When Less is More: How Harnessing the Power of Subtraction Can Add to Life News There’s a lot of thought that goes into adding things to our routines, our closets, our lives. But how much thought goes into subtracting things? Not enough, according to three University of Virginia professors. Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Gabrielle Adams Gabrielle Adams is an associate professor of public policy and business administration at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and in the Darden School of Business’s Leadership and Organizational Behavior area. Adams studies the processes and dynamics that give rise to ‘good’ decisions, policies and conditions in organizations. Read full bio
Benjamin Converse Benjamin Converse is an associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on motivation, social judgment, problem solving and decision making. He teaches courses related to leadership and negotiations. Read full bio
The “Equal-Opportunity Jerk” Defense: Rudeness Can Obfuscate Gender Bias Research In this research, we identified a barrier that makes sexism hard to recognize: rudeness toward men. We found that observers judge a sexist perpetrator as less sexist if he is rude toward men.
Anger Damns the Innocent Research False accusations permeate social life—from the mundane blaming of other people to more serious accusations of infidelity and workplace wrongdoing. Importantly, false accusations can have grave consequences, including broken relationships, job loss, and reputational damage. In this article, we document an equally pernicious phenomenon—the misuse of anger as a cue to predict whether a suspect has been falsely accused.
Meeting Overload Is a Fixable Problem News Batten School professor Gabe Adams spoke with American Talk about the benefits of adopting a subtraction mindset and how to get it done.
When Less is More: How Harnessing the Power of Subtraction Can Add to Life News There’s a lot of thought that goes into adding things to our routines, our closets, our lives. But how much thought goes into subtracting things? Not enough, according to three University of Virginia professors.
Better Sharing of “Eco-Innovations” Can Combat Rising Climate Despair Research Climate despair is emerging as a psychosocial threat. Ben Converse, associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Batten School, along with Batten post-doc Maura Austin and other UVA researchers, have found a potential source of hope that is underutilized.
People systematically overlook subtractive changes Research A series of problem-solving experiments reveal that people are more likely to consider solutions that add features than solutions that remove them, even when removing features is more efficient.
New Research: Sharing "Eco-Innovations" Can Ease Climate Despair News Climate despair is emerging as a psychosocial threat. Ben Converse, associate professor of public policy and psychology at the Batten School, and other UVA researchers have found a potential source of hope that is underutilized.
When Less is More: How Harnessing the Power of Subtraction Can Add to Life News There’s a lot of thought that goes into adding things to our routines, our closets, our lives. But how much thought goes into subtracting things? Not enough, according to three University of Virginia professors.