Cognitive psychologyLesson 1 of 4 in the course Decision making and heuristics

Decision-Making: Cognitive Processes, Biases, and Methods

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Decision-making is the process of choosing a belief or course of action from several alternatives. This lesson introduces the basic process and shows how different perspectives explain it.

A decision is a selection among possible options. The reasoning that produces it can be rational or irrational, and it may rely on explicit knowledge, tacit knowledge, or both. A decision produces a final choice, but that choice does not always lead to immediate action.

All flashcards

What is decision-making?
A cognitive process that selects a belief or course of action from several possible alternatives. Its final choice does not necessarily prompt action.
How do explicit and tacit knowledge differ?
Explicit knowledge can be stated or recorded directly; tacit knowledge is harder to articulate and often comes from experience. People may use both together.
What does the psychological perspective study?
It examines individual decisions in relation to the person's needs, preferences, and values.
What is MCDA used for?
Multiple-criteria decision analysis compares a finite set of alternatives against several evaluative criteria, for example to rank options or identify a preferred one.
What does the normative perspective ask?
It examines the logic or rationality of individual decisions and the choices those principles imply.

Quiz questions

  1. What does bounded rationality emphasize about human decision-making?Answer: Time, information, and mental processing limits constrain choices.
  2. What is confirmation bias?Answer: Favoring evidence that supports an existing conclusion over contrary evidence.
  3. What happens in a two-alternative forced-choice task?Answer: A participant chooses between two options within a specified time.
  4. According to the somatic marker hypothesis, how can emotion contribute to uncertain choices?Answer: Emotional and bodily responses can signal the potential value of options.
  5. What does rational choice theory describe?Answer: Choosing an option based on one's own costs, benefits, and preferences.

Based on the Wikipedia article Decision-making, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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