---
title: Knowing less is better
date: "2007-01-17T12:00:00Z"
categories:
  - links
wp_id: 122
description: Explore Malcolm Gladwell's argument that limited information can improve decision-making through heuristics. A study of students shows how recognizing only one city name can lead to more accurate population estimates than having access to more data.
keywords: [malcolm gladwell, heuristics, recognition heuristic, decision-making, psychology, bounded rationality]
---

Malcolm Gladwell argues that [knowing less can be an advantage](http://gladwell.typepad.com/gladwellcom/2006/03/nba_heuristics.html). This is based on a study in which kids in the US were asked which was a bigger city: San Antonio or San Diego. Many didn't know. Kids in Germany were asked the same. Most knew: San Diego was bigger. Why? Because they'd heard of San Diego, but not of San Antonio.

P.S: A comment mentions that the actual difference in population between these cities is only 2%. So maybe the US kids were right to be unsure...

---

## Comments

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- **texan** _29 Jan 2007 4:20 am_:
  Please read the actual pschologist's blog at http://www.dangoldstein.com/dsn/archives/2006/03/malcolm\_gladwel\_1.html#note to see the distinction between "city limits" & "metro area". i or any outsider ( still a US person ) would associate san diego(San Antonio) with its metro area than 'city limits'. I think the american kids were influenced by the popular saying 'Everything is big in Texas !!!' i live in Texas BTW

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