An Integrated Framework of Intuition

Abstract

One of the reasons why conceptualizations of intuition vary so much is the absence of a comprehensive, overarching framework that would reconcile different views. This void is particularly worrying as individual interpretations often do not contradict but rather focus on specific aspects of intuition, oblivious to the big picture in which they are all embedded. Hence, there is a need for a unifying framework that outlines the relationships of discordant views rather than disqualifying them. In other words, instead of having a debate about what is not intuition, we shall shift our focus to how various perspectives complement each other. Creating such a framework requires that we view the construct in its broadest sense as ‘direct knowing’. This is, in a way, a return to the original understanding of intuition (Behling & Eckel, 1991; Osbeck, 2001), before we started exploring and defining it in modern times – in an attempt to grasp it. But somewhere along the way we got lost in the myriad of qualifying factors. It is time to reclaim the big picture that will allow us to examine not only different perspectives but also how they relate to each other – and possibly interact. This ‘return to basics’ will free us to think about intuition in new, fresh terms. This is a rather speculative chapter, the labels and categories are tentative, and most links are yet to be developed...