CLOA - Thinking and decision-making

Question 1

Thinking

Answer 1

• Process of using knowledge and information to make plans, interpret the world, and make predictions about the world itself
• It produces new information, unlike other cognitive processes
• Several components:
  — Problem-solving
  — Creativity
  — Reasoning
  — Decision-making
• Pre-requisite of any act of decision-making

Question 2

Decision-making

Answer 2

• Process of identifying and choosing alternatives based on values and preferences of the decision-maker
• Cognitive process that involves selecting one of the possible beliefs or actions and making a choice between some alternatives
• Needed during problem-solving (thinking that is directed toward solving specific problems by means of a set of mental strategies) to reach a conclusion

Question 3

Normative models

Answer 3

• Describe the way thinking should be (e.g. what’s right/wrong)
• Assume unlimited time and resources are available to make a decision
• Unrealistic so leads to shortcuts (use of descriptive models)
• Do not account for:
  — Limited time/resources
  — Influence of emotion on thinking
  — Other goals of the decision maker
• Example: Formal logic, theory of probability, utility theory

Question 4

Descriptive models

Answer 4

• Describe what people actually do when they think and make decisions
• Focus on accurate description of real-life thinking patterns
• Study how human thinking processes deviate from predictions of normative models and try to predict/explain them (what psychology is more based on)
• Example: Dual process model

Question 5

Dual process model of thinking and decision-making

Answer 5

• Descriptive model that postulates that there are 2 basic modes of thinking: System 1 and system 2

Question 6

System 1

Answer 6

• Automatic, intuitive, “unconscious”, emotional, and effortless way of thinking
• Often employs heuristics:
  — Rule used to make decisions or form judgements
  — Mental short-cuts that involve focusing on one aspect of a complex problem and ignoring others (context-dependent)
  — Can lead to cognitive bias if assumptions don’t match reality of situations
• Allows efficient processing of complex world but may be prone to errors when assumptions don’t match reality to specific situations
• Likely to be used when cognitive load is high (many thoughts happen at the same time, or we have to make a decision quickly)
• Works better in predictable or common situations

Question 7

System 2

Answer 7

• Slower, conscious, analytical, logical, and rational way of thinking
  — Rational thinking: Allows us to analyse world and think about what is happening and why, predicting what will happen, and how we might influence the situation
• Transfers information from one situation to a new one
• Requires more effort
• Process:
  1) Thinking carefully of all possible ways we could interpret a situation
  2) Gradually eliminates possibilities based on sensory evidence until conclusion is reached
• Works well in unusual and complex situations where we encounter difficulties with System 1 thinking

Question 8

System 1 and System 2 interaction

Answer 8

• Both used when addressing a problem:
  — S1 reaches quick conclusion
  — S2 goes into further analysis and usually reaches a more correct conclusion
• Since S1 is activated before S2, it often interferes with effectiveness of S2

Question 9

Evaluation of dual process model - Strengths

Answer 9

• Supported by biological evidence:
  — Different types of thinking may be processed in different brain areas
  — Goel et al (2000): Participants carried out logic task (abstract vs concrete) and decide on correct choices while in an fMRI. When task was abstract, parietal lobe was active. When task was concrete, left hemisphere temporal lobe was active. This indicated that the brain processes 2 types of information differently (support for model).
• Tests for cognitive biases are reliable in their results

Question 10

Evaluation of dual process model - Limitations

Answer 10

• Overly reductional: Does not clearly explain how/if ways of thinking interact, how our thinking and decision-making could be influenced by emotion
• Definitions of S1 and S2 are somewhat unclear
  — Example: Fast processing indicates use of S1 rather than S2, but just because processing is fast doesn’t mean it is done by S1, as experience can influence S2 to go faster