HBR Daily Stat: Reading Irrelevant Info Hurts Your Ability to Think

"Research participants who had read useless information about future negotiation partners were 46% less likely to identify important issues in the negotiation than people who had been told nothing, suggesting that irrelevant information hampers clear thinking, say Margaret Neale of Stanford and Scott Wiltermuth of the University of Southern California.

"Moreover, statements such as "This person prefers a certain amount of change and variety and becomes dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations" tended to be rated as advantageous, indicating that the participants were unable to perceive the uselessness of the information they were given, the researchers say."

Read more in Stanford Alumni Magazine.