DECISION MAKING

Critique on Factors Affecting Decision Making

Critique on Factors Affecting Decision Making

Introduction

In this article, I am going to provide a critique on three articles. The topic chosen for the critique is decision making. I am going to examine and analyze the perspectives of different authors on the factors affecting decision making.

1. Game Theory and Neural Basis of Social Decision Making (Lee, G, 2008, p. 404 - 409)

Summary of the Article

In this article, the author has mentioned that the external elements present in the external environment of a person affect the decision making of individuals. The author says that the human mind is receptive to the external stimuli which are present in the environment. Therefore, any change in the social or physical environment affects the decision making of that individual. Not only this, people also learn from the decision taken by other members of the society. They evaluate the pros and cons of an action before taking their decisions. If the pros of the action are greater than the cons, then the person takes that decision. However, these decisions are often judgmental and irrational because they are based on the person's perspectives and judgmental skills.

The author has also criticized the followers of game theory and Molecular genetic studies, which says that biological and neurological factors are related to the decision making of individuals (Wright & Goodwin, 2002, p. 1059-1067). He says that the functions of the brain does not affect the social behaviour, but, the values, principles, customs, religion and culture have a major influence on the human mind. The author says that neurobiological studies have exploited the game theory.

Agree /Disagree

In my opinion, the author has used an imbalanced approach to define the factors affecting decision making. He has focused more on criticizing the impact of biological and genetic factors in the social behaviour and decision making abilities of individuals. He has not given examples and evidence to prove his point. Therefore, his article lacked the element of conviction. However, if the author would have used a comparison of environmental factors and Neurological factors, then the article would be balanced. Moreover, since the author says that humans evaluate their decisions on the basis their impact on them. Therefore, the role of the brain and neurological functions in evaluating the pros and cons of decisions cannot be ignored.

Usefulness of the Article

This article was very useful to understand the importance of external factors which affects the decision making of individuals. Since, decision making is both an individual and collaborative approach. Therefore, it was very essential to analyze the impact of social, cultural, religious, political, economic and ethnic factors on individuals. On one hand, individuals take their decisions independently, but, on the other hand, the harmony of decisions taken by different members of the society shapes the values and principles of that society.

Future Investigations

The article is based on the perceptions of author which can be biased and judgmental. Therefore, evidence must be added in this article to prove the point of view of the ...