Episode 34: Anti-bias brains that excel in logic and rational decision-making
Published on 27 May 2025 • Hosted by Dr Lisa Colledge
Most of us like to think we make rational decisions. But decades of research tell a different story. Human decision-making is riddled with unconscious shortcuts—heuristics—that evolved to help us survive by making quick, instinct-driven decisions, but that often lead us astray in modern work settings.
Autistic thinkers, however, operate differently.
In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, I discuss through how autistic brains are less vulnerable to common cognitive biases—offering a competitive advantage in logic-driven environments.
Take the Attraction Effect, for instance: when a third, strategically-priced coffee option is added, most people change their mind about which size of coffee to order. Autistic thinkers? They usually don’t. Their decisions remain anchored in their value, not in emotion.
Or consider the Sunk Cost Fallacy: persisting with a failing project because of past investment. Autistic people are more likely to cut losses and re-evaluate with fresh logic.
One of the most striking examples is the Ultimatum Game, where most people reject an unfair split of money—even at a personal loss—just to punish perceived unfairness. Autistic participants are far more likely to accept a less-than-half share of an amount; it's not that they don’t care about fairness—they can simply separate emotion from logic more effectively.
This isn’t to say one approach is always superior. Sometimes emotion and fairness does matter. But in environments rich in data and complexity—like tech, finance, and healthcare—being able to reason rationally clearly under pressure is a strength your team needs.
That’s why autistic thinkers are a natural fit in places like Silicon Valley. Their preference for structure, focus, and logical processing has helped shape innovation ecosystems that work—not just for them, but for the world.
If you want to improve decision-making across your team, you don’t need to label people—you need to design cultures where different styles of thinking are welcomed, enabled, and valued.
Related resources:
If you’d like to read an article version of this material: Rational decision making: how autistic brains beat bias
Listen to a podcast about the natural fit of autistic traits with the skills needed for successful performance in Silicon Valley: Autism and Silicon Valley: a case study in neuro-inclusive design.
I’m Dr Lisa Colledge, and I help ambitious leaders build future-ready teams they trust to deliver now and adapt to whatever’s next — driving engagement, performance, and enduring resilience.
Learn more about building Neuro-Inspired Teams that outpace, outperform, and outlast your competition.
