decisions.html

How do people make decisions about the environment?

** I am going to try to develop a simple framework for how people make decisions, and then use that to address environmental issues. **

One framework is the three components from Urbach, knowledge, critical thinking skills and values. I have used this in class and it makes sense. The problem is that this represents the ideal for rational decisions, it doesn't describe how people or groups of people actually decide.

Beginning categories:

(**This is arranged into the understanding cycle - perception, learning&critical thinking and action. This would show how the loop completes itself in a observant person seeking understanding.**)

A. Perception

B. Thinking and problem solving

Irrational - not a function of reasoned decision based on any facts

love or disgust - something needs to be saved or eliminated

fear - may be a phobia, only partially deabilitating, or bad perception of the relative risk

fetish/obsession - unreasonable attachment to something beyond its normal value, range from pathological to normal range

rational - based on information and critical thinking skills

(**see Gigerenzer for this part)

unbounded rationality

bounded rationality

fast and frugal heuristics as problem solving mechanisms

C. Actions

seeking understanding, will loop back to re-evaluate perception and gain more information and build that into knowledge