Decision Making Theories

1. Decision Making

2. Learning Objective
 I can explain how I make complex decisions in life.
 Step 1: Outline one theory of Decision Making with reference to relevant
research.
 Step 2: Evaluate One Theory of Decision Making.
 Step 3: Contrast Two Theories of Decision Making.

3. Thinking & Decision Making
 A cognitive process that involves selecting one of the possible
beliefs or actions, that is, making a choice between some
alternatives.

4. Decision Making Warm-Up
 Imagine this…You are standing in your kitchen and trying to decide what
to eat for dessert. You have the option of ice cream or an apple.
 Create a visual representation of what the process that you go through
when making the decision of what to eat.

5. Thinking: Dual Processing Theory
 According to this theory, there are two distinct modes of thinking:
 Fast, automatic thinking
 Slow, deliberate thinking.
 We make decisions based on which system is more appropriate to the situation.
 Both systems are needed to survive.

7. Baird et al (2005)
 Aim: To investigate brain activity in young people while making risky decisions.
 Method:
 Participants: 20 adolescents(10 males, 10 female, avg. age: 13.4); 20 adults(10 males, 10 female, avg
age: 21.7)
 Task: While laying in an fMRI machine, participants were asked to make judgments of whether an
idea was a good or bad idea. Examples included “jumping off a roof,” “swimming with sharks,” and
“going for a walk.”
 Measurements: Researchers examined response times and brain activity.
 Findings:
 · There was no difference between ages when responding to clearly “good ideas.”
 · When faced with a “bad idea,” adolescents took longer to respond than adults and showed
increased activity in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (responsible for planning, & abstract
thinking).
 Conclusions: When confronted with a dangerous scenarios, adolescents rely more on system 2 to
help them make decisions. Than adults.

8. Mekawi & Bresin (2015)
 Aim: To investigate the role that race has on a person’s likelihood of viewing a
person as a threat.
 Method: Performed a meta-analysis of 42 studies which tested the response rates of
black vs. white targets in a first person shooting simulator.
 Findings:
 Participants were quicker to shoot black targets when compared to white targets.
 Participants were more likely to shoot black targets.
 States with permissive gun laws were had higher instances of shooting unarmed black
targets.
 Conclusion: Participants were impacted by the race of the targets.
 Critical Thinking?

9. EEG Overview
 Electroencephapography: EEG
 Measures the brain wave activity in the brain. Shows how active your brain is and how it responds to
the environment.
 Pros
 Allows for movement and comfort: More normal tasks.
 Shows immediate changes in the brain.
 Cons
 Does not demonstrate Localization of Function.

10. Lewis et al (2014)
 Aim: To investigate the role of race in decisions to shoot at targets.
 Method:
 Used a realistic simulator to test police and non-police reaction times to black, white, and
Hispanic targets.
 Had participants wear EEG head caps to measure their brain activity.
 Finding:
 Participants showed more neurological threat response against black targets.
 However, participants were less likely to shoot black targets.
 Conclusion: A counter-bias exists against black targets which makes people less likely to
shoot them.
 Critical Thinking?

11. Reflection on the Dual Model
Processing Theory
 How does this model help explain your thinking about your IB Learner
Challenge?

12. Model 1: Theory of Planned Behavior
 A theory that is used to predict the likelihood of action by weighing three
components that impact decision making. The three components which influence a
decision are…
1. Attitude: Is the choice going to benefit or harm you?
2. Subjective Norms: What does the rest of society think about this choice?
3. Perceived Control: How much control do you have over this choice?

13. Example: Can Mr. Bonica Eat Less Meat?
Attitudes
Pros: Healthy, Good for
Environment, Pigs are Cute.
Cons: Meat is Yummy,
Accessibility, Ease, Cheap.
Perceived Control
Cost, Being a Polite
Guest, Self-Control,
Restaurant Options,
Beyond Meat is
Yummy.
Subjective Norms
• Texas: Eat Meat!
• PDX: Go Vegan!
Intention
• Eat Less Meat
Behavior

14. Zemore & Ajzen (2014)
 Aim: To investigate the usefulness of the theory of planned
behavior in predicting who would complete a substance abuse
treatment.
 Method: 200 People who were recently enrolled in an outpatient
(they could go home) drug treatment program in California
answered a number of surveys that measured opinions on all
elements of the theory of planned behavior.
Survey Questions
1. I plan to complete my treatment program (intention).
2. I will completed my treatment program (intention).
3. If I wanted to, I could easily complete my treatment program (perceived control).
4. It is up to me whether I complete my treatment program (perceived control).
5. Most of my friends and classmates drink alcohol (subjective norm).

15. Zemore & Ajzen (2014)
 Findings:
 Any participant scoring less than the maximum on all 3 intention items could be
considered at risk: Most participants (77%) achieved the scale maximum, and those
who did not showed over twice the odds of drop-out.
 Most of the variance in intentions to complete treatment could be explained by
attitudes and perceived control, and intention was moderately, but significantly,
associated with treatment completion in this small study.
 Subjective Norms were of less importance.
 Conclusion: TPB does an adequate job in predicting behaviors of recovering
drug addicts.

16. Tengku et al (2016)
 Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of the TPB on predicting breastfeeding in
Malaysian women.
 Method:
 Researchers provided surveys to 200 Malaysian women who were about to give birth
about their planned behavior of exclusively using breastfeeding.
 Participants completed a second study a month after delivering their children.
 Findings:
 51.0% of the variance was due to intention, with perceived behavioral control and
attitude were the significant predictors.
 The main predictors of exclusive breastfeeding behavior were intention, postpartum
support and breastfeeding difficulty.
 Conclusion: While TPB predicts behavior, it does not alone explain behavior. Social
support and other factors also played a large role.
 Critical Thinking?

17. Your Turn: Theory of Planned Behavior
 Select an example from your life and outline Theory of Planned Behavior
Model.
 Examples: Exercise, Homework, Community Service, Calling your Grandma,
Donating money…
 Be prepared to share.

18. Model 2: Mindset Theory
 Individuals hold either a growth or fixed mindset. Depending on their mindset,
individual’s decisions and behaviors are drastically impacted.
 Growth Mindset: Success is achieved through Effort and continual improvement.
 Fixed Mindset: Success comes from ability and inborn characteristics.

19. Blackwell, Trzesniewski and Dweck
(2007)
Study #1
 Method: 373 7th graders were tested
for their mindsets and their academic
performance was tracked.
 Findings: Students who held a growth
mindset showed upward trajectory in
grades over the two years of junior high
school, while those with a fixed mindset
predicted a flat trajectory. A mediational
model including learning goals, positive
beliefs about effort, and causal
attributions and strategies was tested.
Study #2
 Method: Researchers provided n
intervention lesson an growth mindset
to 7th graders (N 5 48) promoted
positive change in classroom
motivation, compared with a control
group (N 5 43).
 Findings: students in the control
group displayed a continuing
downward trajectory in grades, while
this decline was reversed for students
in the experimental group.

20. Sisk et al (2018)
 Aim: To investigate the correlation of growth mindset with academic success.
 Method:
 Conducted a Meta Analysis on research into Mindset Theory.
 The Meta Analysis included roughly 400,000 participants.
 Findings:
 Mindset interventions had limited impact on students academic achievement.
 While there is evidence that economically disadvantaged students benefit from mindset
interventions, there was only evidence from relatively few studies that pushed results in that
direction.
 Children and adolescents were more impacted by mindset interventions than adults.
 Many studies only looked at the interventions, not whether the actual mindset of
participants changed.
 Conclusions: The effectiveness of mindset theory are overstated, though there are
some effective correlations.

21. Contrast
Give an account of the differences between two (or more) items or
situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout.
-Applications
-Research Methods
-Focuses

22. Contrast
 Describe Theory #1
 Research
 Describe Theory #2
 Research
 Contrast
 Differences in the Types of Thinking
 Differences in the Types of Evidence