Decision making

Decision making is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from multiple alternatives. Common examples include shopping, deciding what to eat, and deciding who or what to vote for in an election or referendum.

Definition

Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions. Using a step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate, thoughtful decisions by organizing relevant information and defining alternatives.

Types of Decision Making

There are several types of decision making, including:

• Rational decision making: This involves logical, comprehensive, goal-oriented, and future-oriented processes.
• Intuitive decision making: This involves instinct, gut reactions, and immediate judgement.
• Retrospective decision making: This involves looking at past decisions and their outcomes to make current decisions.

Factors Influencing Decision Making

Several factors can influence decision making, such as:

• Personal factors: These include a person's age, gender, culture, emotions, and cognitive biases.
• Social factors: These include social norms, societal roles, and social influence.
• Environmental factors: These include time and physical surroundings.

Decision Making Process

The decision making process typically involves the following steps:

1. Identify the decision: Clearly define the nature of the decision you must make.
2. Gather relevant information: Collect some pertinent information before you make your decision.
3. Identify the alternatives: As you collect information, you will probably identify several possible paths of action.
4. Weigh the evidence: Draw on your information and emotions to imagine what it would be like if you carried out each of the alternatives to the end.
5. Choose among alternatives: Once you have weighed all the evidence, you are ready to select the alternative that seems to be best one for you.
6. Take action: You’re now ready to take some positive action by beginning to implement the alternative you chose.
7. Review your decision & its consequences: In this final step, consider the results of your decision and evaluate whether or not it has resolved the need you identified in step 1.

See Also

• Problem solving
• Cognitive bias
• Risk management
• Choice

References

Decision making Resources
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