What did the Israeli parole decision study reveal about how time of day affects high-stakes choices?
That fatigue dramatically shifts the choices a decider makes, even when the stakes are extreme. The research, conducted on Israeli parole boards, found that prisoners whose hearings occurred in the morning, shortly after the judges had eaten and rested, were substantially more likely to receive parole or favorable rulings. Prisoners whose hearings occurred late in the morning or late in the afternoon, after the judges had heard many cases without a break, were far more likely to be denied parole and sent back to jail. The case files were not different. The judges were the same people. The decision-quality varied based on cognitive reserve. The pattern recovered after breaks for food and rest, then degraded again as fatigue accumulated. The finding has been replicated in other decision contexts and forms part of the body of research on decision fatigue. The implication for dental practices: high-stakes decisions land better when the decider is rested and fed. Schedule accordingly.
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