Although rationality provides the foundation for behavioural decision theory, current findings suggest that heuristics and biases have a significant impact on individual decision making. Rationality can only go so far in explaining individual decision making.
A large part of early research into decision theory was based on the economic or normative approach, which tries to predict the actions of a so called ‘rational decision maker’. Although Bernoulli (1738) was the first to introduce the concept of utility into decision making, it was Von Neumann and Morgenstern’s book, ‘Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour’ which revolutionised the idea of a rational decision process. Von Neumann and Morgenstern (1947) explicitly outlined the
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In contrast, EU theory suggests people have different attitudes toward risk – some would be risk averse and prefer the guaranteed payment, even though the expected value is lower, while others would choose the riskier bet. However, EU Theory and the normative approach to decision making are not without criticisms. As with every mathematical model, EU theory is a simplified representation of reality and does not guarantee reliable predictions of human behaviour. Indeed, empirical evidence suggests the existence of systematic deviations from rationality. As Dawes (1988) wrote, “People, groups, organizations, and governments make choices. Sometimes the consequences of their decisions are desirable, sometimes not” (p. 2). Hence it can be argued that decision making is not purely rational (where rationality is defined as the decision predicted by EU Theory).
In in attempt to create a more psychologically accurate description of decision making, Kahneman and Tversky (1979) developed Prospect Theory, which theorized that individuals have different perceptions when considering losses versus gains. In contrast to EU Theory, which suggests we make decisions that maximise our utility, research by Kahneman and Tversky (1979) found that information is not processed in such a rational way. For example, according to EU Theory, the amount of utility gained by receiving $200 should be equal to receiving $300 and losing $100 as in both situations
The decision making process includes cognitive processes that eventually lead to a choice in action while taking into consideration the alternative possibilities (Allen, Dorozenko, & Roberts, 2016). Not all choices have to lead to an action. The values and preferences of the person making the choice also comes into play when making the final decision. Problem-solving to obtain a certain goal or satisfactory by a solution is the main reason people go through the decision making process (Stefaniak, & Tracey, 2014). This process has many factors that end with one final result or solution. The decisions made can be rational or irrational and can be determined by explicit or tacit knowledge (Qingyao, Dongyu, & Weihua, 2016). Since the decision making process can be very difficult at time, psychologists have viewed the process in different perspectives to get a better understanding (Rossi, Picchi, Di Stefano, Marongiu, & Scarsini, 2015). The different perspectives include; psychological, cognitive, and normative or communicative rationality.
For the most part, our decision-making processes are either sub-conscious or made fairly quickly due to the nature of the decision before us. Most of us don't spend much time deciding what to have for lunch, what to wear, or what to watch on television. For other, more complex decisions, we need to spend more time and analyze the elements of the decision and potential consequences. To assist with this, many people employ the use of a decision-making model. Utilizing a
Kahneman’s article is an analysis of intuitive thinking and how it guides our decision-making. Although primarily aimed at the field of psychology, it is an interdisciplinary article with applications in economic theorising. Kahneman attempts to differentiate between two systems of thought, one of intuition (system 1) and one of reasoning (system 2), and argues that many judgements and choices are made intuitively, rather than with reason (a slower and more deliberate process). Intuitive decision making, which encompasses heuristics, although generally more efficient and rapid, makes the agent potentially subject to errors due to framing effects or violations of dominance. The analysis of the studies and theoretical situations also provides criticism of the commonly held model of the rational agent within economics. The article also further conceptualises Kahneman’s theory, the Prospect Theory (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979), which has descriptive applications of people’s choice in decision-making situations involving risk and known probability of outcomes. These situations are typically unexplained by the more normative rational agent model.
Rational decision making seems pretty straightforward, but in this article Dr. David Fassler, a psychiatry professor at the University of Vermont College of Medicine clarifies that,
In today’s economy, decision-making skills vary for each household; however, the bottom-line goal for every individual is to get the most for their money. In order to do this, there are 4 principles of individual decision-making: facing trade-offs, evaluating what one is giving up to obtain their goal, thinking at the margin, and responding to incentives.
Economists have often modelled human decision makers as completely rational. According to this model, rational people know their own preferences, gather and accurately process all relevant information, and then make rational choices that advance their own interests. However, Herbert Simon won a Nobel Prize in economics by pointing out that people are rational, but only boundedly so in that they seldom gather all available information, they often do not accurately process the information
The dual-system theory developed by psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains why the judgments and decisions of agents may not conform to the traditional theory of rationality. The dual-self model describes two methods of cognitive processes at work when individuals make decisions. The dual-self model approach to judgment and choice is described as System 1 and System 2 thinking. System 1 is the intuitive process of decision making. This system is described as fast, automatic, and effortless.
Rational choice theory accepts that all individuals attempt to effectively expand their preference in any circumstance and in this way reliably attempt to minimize their misfortunes. The hypothesis depends on the possibility that all people construct their choices in light of sound figuring’s, act with discernment when picking, and intend to increment either delight or benefit. Rational choice theory likewise stipulates that all unpredictable social wonders are driven by individual human activities. Accordingly, if a business analyst needs to clarify social change or the activities of social organizations, he needs to take a look at the balanced choices of the people that make up the entirety.
Rational choice theory, also known simply as choice theory, is the assessment of a potential offender to commit a crime. Choice theory is the belief that committing a crime is a rational decision, based on cost benefit analysis. The would-be offender will weigh the costs of committing a particular crime: fines, jail time, and imprisonment versus the benefits: money, status, heightened adrenaline. Depending on which factors out-weigh the other, a criminal will decide to commit or forgo committing a crime. This decision making process makes committing a crime a rational choice. This theory can be used to explain why an offender will decide to commit burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, or murder.
Prospect theory is an important alternative descriptive theory for decision-making under unreliable situation (Kahneman and Tversky 1979), which includes real life selection and psychological analysis between choices that involve risk. Prospect theory, which efforts to explain individual make decisions between risky replacements based on the value of potential gains and losses (Wakker 2010), advanced from expected utility theory, which explains that investors want to maximize expected utility of wealth when unclearly situations (Blavatskyy 2007). According to Kahneman and Tversky (1992), more recent researches perceived nonlinear preferences in choices that do not involve definite events in prospective theory. The concept of framing effect refers description invariances (Kahneman and Tversky 1992). To be specific, individual always makes the same decision in identical choice conditions. Also, decision makers have tendency to
The importance of decision making in individual daily life and in organization level was demonstrated by two scientists, Arkes and Hammond (1992), in ‘Judgment and Decision making’ indentified the four types of information which decision maker requires constructing a decision tree.
Applying the utility theory seems a rational choice as it can reflect the decision maker’s attitude toward risk. Still problems arise when the decision is made by more than one person. Based on their experiences within General Motors, Michael W. Kusnic and Daniel Owen have found that when there were more than one decision makers, it was less
My independent research in the field started with my curious interest in the processes of how decisions made by individuals and governments, what are the main factors encouraged them to choose particular decision over other options and the outcomes of those decisions. Then, I started to read theories of great Economists, such as, Keynes, Freidman , Devenport, Kinnerly and Mason who wrote on decision-making and the ability of individual to interpret the information. Additionally, there were theories by De Bondt , Clark , Tversky and Kehnman who argued that human psychology is interconnected with economics which cannot be ignored. Learning those theories and comparing them with the real life happenings, my enthusiasm to get deeper insights of economics increased. Encouraged by this, I have compiled
Effective decision-making is very important on how probability can be applied therefore effective decision-making must be rational. As mentioned before, people who are deciding rationally are attempting to reach goals in a systematic way. They make sure
Behavioural economics helps to explain that assumptions which have been taken are not always borne out. It’s related to physiology, economics and other related disciplines to demonstrate that what actually people thing and what are their expectations in the future if changes happen. The findings of behavioural economics have organized in a variety of ways. When in the time of decision making as content between two system people are likely to rely on first system which leads to a predictable deviations from the expectations of standard economic theory.