Commentary on “Exploring new ways of thinking about and developing staff practice: the role of modes of thinking”

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on “Exploring new ways of thinking about and developing staff practice: the role of modes of thinking” written by Roy Deveau, John Ockenden and Petra Bjorne. Design/methodology/approach The commentary considers the consistency of Kahneman’s model of thinking fast and slow with brain research. Findings The thinking styles of staff undoubtedly influence their responses to people with learning disabilities. Although Kahneman’s model provides a heuristic approach to tackling prejudicial and biased thinking, it risks incomplete solutions through bypassing some of the factors contributing to staff behaviour. Originality/value This commentary concludes that Kahneman’s model is not completely consistent with knowledge about how the brain is organized. This should be regarded as a limitation of any model seeking to explain decision-making.