When confronted with an important decision, do you carefully weigh the pros and cons or do you shoot from the hip? Either method can work—if you know when to employ each for maximum success, finds a new study from the University of Amsterdam.

The researchers split about 100 people into groups consisting of intermediates and experts in different fields of study. Experts were defined as those with both experience and knowledge of the subject matter, while intermediates were defined as those who had experience but lacked formal knowledge, the study explains.

The researchers asked half of each group to carefully deliberate before making a judgment, while the rest were told to offer quick, intuitive opinions. (Need help making tough life decisions? Check out these 13 Ways to Knock Fear Out of Your Life .)

How’d they do? The intermediates performed best when asked to react intuitively, while the experts benefited from more careful deliberation, says study author Koen Dijkstra, Ph.D. a social psychologist at the University of Amsterdam. These results were similar to past studies that looked at stock market decisions and consumer product judgments.

What’s the lesson here? Unless you have broad knowledge of a subject, focusing too intently on details can mess with your ability to understand the big picture, Dijkstra explains.

Let’s say you’re trying to decide whether to buy a house, or invest in a risky stock: If you’re an expert in either field—or if you have access to an expert—you’re better off taking your time and weighing the pros and cons, Dijkstra says. If you’re not an expert but you have to act quickly, skip the intense deliberations—you don’t have enough time to become an expert, and you’re better off going with your gut, Dijkstra advises. (Did you know you can train your mind to help in these situations? Try these 27 Ways to Power Up Your Brain .)

If you’re facing a moral or social dilemma—say, whether to tell a good buddy his girlfriend is cheating, or letting your boss know you mistakenly received an extra $1,000 in your paycheck—you’re probably better off trusting your instincts, not your brain, Dijkstra recommends. Why? Your mind can override your intuition with rationalizations and excuses if you give it the chance. And when facing complicated moral or social choices, more knowledge doesn’t do you much good, Dijkstra says.