Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Intuition is an unconscious process of acquiring knowledge or understanding without the conscious use of reasoning. It's a gut feeling or instinct that guides decision-making.
This is a sudden realization or understanding of a problem's solution. It's like when the light bulb goes off in your head after struggling with a problem for some time.
This refers to memories that are not part of our consciousness but influence our behaviors and perceptions. Like knowing how to ride a bike even if you haven't done it in years - you don't consciously remember learning, but your body knows what to do.
These are mental shortcuts or "rules of thumb" that simplify decision-making. They're like quick recipes we use in thinking when we don't have time to cook up an elaborate thought process.