Analysis paralysis
Analysis paralysis (or paralysis by analysis) describes an individual or group process where overanalyzing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become "paralyzed", meaning that no solution or course of action is decided upon within a natural time frame. A situation may be deemed too complicated and a decision is never made, or made much too late, due to anxiety that a potentially larger problem may arise. A person may desire a perfect solution, but may fear making a decision that could result in error, while on the way to a better solution. Equally, a person may hold that a superior solution is a short step away, and stall in its endless pursuit, with no concept of diminishing returns. On the opposite end of the time spectrum is the phrase extinct by instinct, which is making a fatal decision based on hasty judgment or a gut reaction.
Analysis paralysis is when the fear of either making an error or forgoing a superior solution outweighs the realistic expectation or potential value of success in a decision made in a timely manner. This imbalance results in suppressed decision-making in an unconscious effort to preserve existing options. An overload of options can overwhelm the situation and cause this "paralysis", rendering one unable to come to a conclusion. It can become a larger problem in critical situations where a decision needs to be reached, but a person is not able to provide a response fast enough, potentially causing a bigger issue than they would have had, had they made a decision.[1]
History
The basic idea has been expressed through narrative a number of times. In one "
In
Voltaire popularized an old Italian proverb in French in the 1770s, of which an English variant is, "Perfect is the enemy of good". The meaning of "The perfect is the enemy of the good" is that one might never complete a task if one has decided not to stop until it is perfect: completing the project well is made impossible by striving to complete it perfectly.
"Analysis, paralysis" appeared together in an 1803 pronouncing dictionary and later editions stating how those words are pronounced similarly.
In 1928 at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, Reverend C. Leslie Glenn, National Secretary for College Work, spoke that the religious collegiate world was at risk of "paralysis by analysis" from being too speculative instead of definitive, needing real work instead of investigations.[5][6]
During World War II, Winston Churchill, after hearing that the landing craft designers were spending the majority of their time arguing over design changes, sent this message: "The maxim 'Nothing avails but perfection' may be spelt shorter: 'Paralysis.'"[7]
In 1956, Charles R. Schwartz wrote the article "The Return-on-Investment Concept as a Tool for Decision Making" in Changing Patterns And Concepts In Management stating, "We will do less guessing; avoid the danger of becoming extinct by instinct; and, by the adoption of one uniform evaluation guide, escape succumbing to paralysis by analysis."[8]
In 1965, H. Igor Ansoff wrote the book Corporate Strategy: An Analytic Approach to Business Policy for Growth and Expansion.[9] He used the phrase "paralysis by analysis" in reference to those who used the approach to excess.[10][11] Ansoff had referenced Schwartz's paper in a couple of his papers.[12]
In a paper published in 1970, based on a speech in 1969 and other works, Silver and Hecker wrote:
The Duke group has used the term "analysis-paralysis" to point out that, if we wait until we have completely answered all the questions and solved all of the problems before training the personnel we need, we will never reach a solution. The insistent demands for further study and extensive evaluation suggested by some may only be a defense by those who do not wish to change or those who fear change.[13]
The Oxford English Dictionary says that the earliest uses of "analysis paralysis" found in The Times were in the 1970s.[14]
Software development
In
Analysis paralysis can occur when there is a lack of experience on the part of workers such as
Analysis paralysis is an example of an
Sports
Analysis paralysis is a critical problem in athletics. It can be explained in simple terms as "failure to react in response to overthought". A victim of sporting analysis paralysis will frequently think in complicated terms of "what to do next" while contemplating the variety of possibilities, and in doing so exhausts the available time in which to act.
Games
See also
- Bounded rationality
- Buyer's remorse
- Criticism
- Decision fatigue
- Decisional balance
- Existential crisis
- Groupthink
- Information overload
- Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder
- Opportunity cost
- Overchoice
- The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
- Perfect is the enemy of good
- Perfectionism
- Regret (decision theory)
- Search cost
- Secretary problem
- Thinking, Fast and Slow
- Wicked problem
- Writer's block
- Yips
References
- ^ "Analysis Paralysis - Crystalinks". www.crystalinks.com. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ^ "Shakespeare Resource Center - Line Analysis: Hamlet". www.bardweb.net.
- ISBN 9781349713080.
- ^ Walker, John (1803). A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary, and Expositor of the English Language...: To which are Prefixed, Principles of English Pronunciation... Budd and Bartram.
- ^ The Spirit of Missions. J. L. Powell. 1928.
- ^ Christian Education. Council of Church Boards of Education in the United States of America. 1928.
- ^ Roberts, Lon (January–February 2010). "Analysis Paralysis: A Case of Terminological Inexactitude" (PDF). Defense AT&L: 18–22. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ^ Schwartz, Charles R. (1956). General Management Series Pamphlet #183: The Return-on-Investment Concept as a Tool for Decision Making. American Management Association. pp. 42–61.
- ISBN 9780070021112.
- ISBN 978-1905211029.
- ^ "Igor Ansoff". The Economist. 18 July 2008.
- ISSN 0025-1909.
- ^ Silver, Henry K.; Hecker, James A. (March 1970). "The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and the Health Associate: New Types of Health Professionals". Journal of Medical Education. 45: 171–176. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- ^ "analysis paralysis: definition of analysis paralysis in Oxford dictionary (American English) (US)". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- ^ "Managing Analysis Paralysis". Business Analyst Learnings. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- PMID 11299695.
- ^ "Analysis Paralysis". Sourcemaking. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ "Board Game Resource - How to deal with Analysis Paralysis?". Board Game Resource. 26 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ^ "Designing Games to Prevent Analysis Paralysis - Part 1 | The Best Games Are Yet To Be Made". www.leagueofgamemakers.com. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ^ "GDC Vault - Overcoming Analysis Paralysis: Experimenting with Bears vs. Art". www.gdcvault.com.