Advanced Decision Making

• What does the term "motor skill" refer to according to Bernstein (1996)?


  It refers to the ability to solve a motor problem correctly, quickly, rationally, and resourcefully.
• How are motor acts related to cognitive mechanisms?


  Motor acts are not carried out in isolation from cognitive mechanisms.
• What are some causes of recorded deaths on the mountain mentioned in the study material?

  Avalanche, exposure, falls, hypoxia, exhaustion, cerebral oedemas, strokes, and cardiac arrests.
• What is the tragic example mentioned in the study material?

  Francys Arsentiev
• What are the three conditions necessary for making a decision?


  • At least two possible choices
  • Expectations can be predicted about the outcomes
  • Value of outcome can be assessed
• What do normative theories focus on?


  They focus on optimal decision making.
• What does the term "expected value" refer to?


  It refers to a concept based on probability and the expected outcomes of decisions.
• What is the limitation of expected value mentioned in the study material?


  Biases become more obvious when risks are increased.
• What is the concept of utility in decision making?


  Utility reflects psychological rather than economic values.
• What is expected utility?

  Expected utility refers to the worth of an outcome based on personal value rather than pure economic value.
• What does "diminishing marginal utility" mean?


  It means that utility and value are related, but not linearly.
• What are the key aspects of framing effects in decision making?


  • A cognitive bias
  • The way information is presented influences decisions
  • Can lead to different choices even with the same options
• What does Prospect Theory predict?


  It predicts what people will do, not what they should do.
• What is reference dependence in Prospect Theory?


  It means people make decisions based on anticipated gains and losses compared to their current state.
• What is the role of probability weighting in decision making?


  Probabilities are subjectively assessed, leading to overestimation of chances.
• What are the three cognitive biases mentioned in the essay question?

  1. Availability heuristic
  2. Representativeness heuristic
  3. Anchoring and adjustment bias (AAA)
• What is the availability heuristic?


  It is a bias towards more immediate examples that come to mind.
• What does the representativeness heuristic focus on?


  It focuses on the degree to which an event is similar to its parent population and reflects salient features.
• What is anchoring and adjustment bias (AAA)?


  It involves making assessments starting from an initial anchor and making insufficient adjustments away from it.
• What is Nash Equilibrium in Game Theory?


  It is a stable state where no player can increase their expected payoff by changing their strategy while others keep theirs unchanged.
• What does the Prisoner's Dilemma illustrate about decision making?


  It shows that sometimes the optimal outcome is not the most selfish one.
• What are the types of reinforcers mentioned in the study material?

  • Primary reinforcers: direct benefits (e.g., water, food)
  • Secondary reinforcers: used to gain other rewards
  • Aversive stimuli: removal of reinforcers
• What role does dopamine play in decision making?

  Dopamine is associated with pleasure motivation and reward prediction, and it plays a key role in addiction.
• How are mobile games designed to be addictive?

  They use secondary reinforcers like lights, sounds, and scarcity to enhance addiction.
• What is the relationship between loot box spending and problem gambling?


  Problem gambling causes loot box spending, and loot box spending causes problem gambling.
• What are the key takeaways regarding decision making from the study material?

  • Decisions can be understood in terms of expected utility.
  • Heuristics provide shortcuts but can lead to errors.
  • Social dynamics and executive control are important.
  • Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter in decision making.
• What should students be mindful of regarding decision making?


  Students should be mindful of how they can be exploited in their decision making.