Intelligence agents like Snowden more prone to irrational decisions than college students: Study

A latest study has revealed that US intelligence agents like NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden are more prone to make irrational decisions as compared to college students and post-college adults.

According to the study conducted by Cornell University, intelligence agents exhibited larger biases on 30 gain-loss framing decisions, and were also more confident in those decisions.

The results showed that intelligence agents treated equivalent outcomes differently based on superficial wording, and were more willing than college students to take risks with human lives when outcomes were framed as losses.

Cornell professor of human development and psychology, and lead author of the study, Valerie Reyna said that the study results indicate the decision-making mechanisms of intelligence agents who identify and mitigate risks to national security.

Reyna added that these results suggest that meaning and context play a larger role in risky decision-making as experts gain experience and that experience can enhance performance, but also has predictable pitfalls.