Seeing What Others Don't

The remarkable ways we gain insights

Leadership
Toilet Paper as a Weapon

Gary Klein Ph.D. on February 16, 2026

A mindset of adaptability and improvisation, coupled with perspective-taking skills, can help people overcome what look like overwhelming challenges.

A mindset of adaptability and improvisation, coupled with perspective-taking skills, can help people overcome what look like overwhelming challenges.

Decision-Making
4 Decision Games That Changed Me

Gary Klein Ph.D. on January 9, 2026

More than reading about theory, actual experiences are what shape our understanding. These can be efficiently provided through scenario training such as Tactical Decision Games.

More than reading about theory, actual experiences are what shape our understanding. These can be efficiently provided through scenario training such as Tactical Decision Games.

Positive Psychology
The Joy of Political Canvassing

Gary Klein Ph.D. on November 8, 2025

Political canvassing—going house-to-house—seems like a tedious chore. But here's how one candidate adopted a mindset filled with curiosity and adventure. And she won her race.

Political canvassing—going house-to-house—seems like a tedious chore. But here's how one candidate adopted a mindset filled with curiosity and adventure. And she won her race.

Fear
Why Do People Make Risky Decisions?

Gary Klein Ph.D. on September 21, 2025

There are several reasons why people might voluntarily engage in risky sports and activities, and we should not try to find a simple, single-cause explanation for their behaviors.

There are several reasons why people might voluntarily engage in risky sports and activities, and we should not try to find a simple, single-cause explanation for their behaviors.

Decision-Making
How I Became a Naturalistic Researcher

Gary Klein Ph.D. on August 9, 2025

Personal Perspective: Controlled experiments and methodological rigor are important for testing hypotheses, but a naturalistic approach may be better for studying decision-making.

Personal Perspective: Controlled experiments and methodological rigor are important for testing hypotheses, but a naturalistic approach may be better for studying decision-making.

Decision-Making
Double-Barreled Pre-Mortems

Gary Klein Ph.D. on July 9, 2025

The pre-mortem method for risk assessment can make people very risk-averse. A double-barreled pre-mortem could help foster boldness to balance the risk aversion.

The pre-mortem method for risk assessment can make people very risk-averse. A double-barreled pre-mortem could help foster boldness to balance the risk aversion.

Decision-Making
Decision-Centered History

Gary Klein Ph.D. on May 22, 2025

Psychologists can help the telling of history by flagging major decisions and speculating about how they were made. In that way, we can provide a decision-centered history.

Psychologists can help the telling of history by flagging major decisions and speculating about how they were made. In that way, we can provide a decision-centered history.

Artificial Intelligence
Can AI Do Pre-Mortems for Us?

Gary Klein Ph.D. on April 23, 2025

AI systems can churn out effective pre-mortem critiques of plans. But they miss the team dynamics and culture-building benefits of in-person pre-mortem sessions.

AI systems can churn out effective pre-mortem critiques of plans. But they miss the team dynamics and culture-building benefits of in-person pre-mortem sessions.

Career
The Problem With Experience

Gary Klein Ph.D. on March 6, 2025

Most people gain expertise on their own, not through training programs or coaching. But experience alone will not lead to expertise. It's just the starting point.

Most people gain expertise on their own, not through training programs or coaching. But experience alone will not lead to expertise. It's just the starting point.

Education
Contrast Sets: The Importance of Anticipating Confusion

Gary Klein Ph.D. on February 6, 2025

Training should not just be about presenting material. Trainers need to anticipate where people can get confused and then skillfully introduce contrast sets to foster expertise.

Training should not just be about presenting material. Trainers need to anticipate where people can get confused and then skillfully introduce contrast sets to foster expertise.

Decision-Making
The Difference Between Expertise and Experts

Gary Klein Ph.D. on January 8, 2025

Personal Perspective: While there is no gold standard for who is an expert, the development and application of expertise are important in many different professions and activities.

Personal Perspective: While there is no gold standard for who is an expert, the development and application of expertise are important in many different professions and activities.

Decision-Making
Illuminators and Diminishers

Gary Klein Ph.D. on June 29, 2024

Traditional decision research makes us feel inadequate, doubting even the experts. Naturalistic decision-making does the reverse; it excites us about expertise and our abilities.

Traditional decision research makes us feel inadequate, doubting even the experts. Naturalistic decision-making does the reverse; it excites us about expertise and our abilities.

Personal Perspectives
Conversations With Kahneman

Gary Klein Ph.D. on April 18, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Danny Kahneman, cofounder of the heuristics and biases school, and I engaged in an adversarial collaboration. We found ways to develop intuitive expertise.

A Personal Perspective: Danny Kahneman, cofounder of the heuristics and biases school, and I engaged in an adversarial collaboration. We found ways to develop intuitive expertise.

Resilience
Making the Most of a Failure

Gary Klein Ph.D. on March 13, 2024

A Personal Perspective: If we think about our failures, we can diagnose what went wrong, and strengthen our mental models.

A Personal Perspective: If we think about our failures, we can diagnose what went wrong, and strengthen our mental models.

Teamwork
Should We Cancel Socrates?

Gary Klein Ph.D. on November 30, 2023

Socrates was an intellectual bully who humiliated those he debated, an approach that persists today. Perhaps we should shift to adversarial collaboration.

Socrates was an intellectual bully who humiliated those he debated, an approach that persists today. Perhaps we should shift to adversarial collaboration.

Leadership
6 Questions To Size Up Your Team’s Dynamics

Gary Klein Ph.D. on September 15, 2023

Cognitive diversity can help or hinder a team's performance. This essay presents a six-question self-test for teams to use in assessment.

Cognitive diversity can help or hinder a team's performance. This essay presents a six-question self-test for teams to use in assessment.

Cognition
Cognitive Diversity: What It Is and Why It Matters

Gary Klein Ph.D. on August 16, 2023

Cognitive diversity (CD) refers to differences in the way team members think. We identified five primary dimensions of CD and described the tasks that CD supports.

Cognitive diversity (CD) refers to differences in the way team members think. We identified five primary dimensions of CD and described the tasks that CD supports.

Cognition
Unpacking Tacit Knowledge

Gary Klein Ph.D. on July 19, 2023

Tacit knowledge is usually defined negatively, as knowledge we cannot articulate. We can do better.

Tacit knowledge is usually defined negatively, as knowledge we cannot articulate. We can do better.

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The Friend Effect

Having friends protects you in multiple ways, from slowing cellular aging to deterring bullies to bolstering your self-esteem.

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Tests
Self Tests
Self Tests

Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.

Self Assessments
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