All posts tagged: decisionmaking

Germany calls for end to EU unanimity rule to stop decision-making ‘standstill’

Germany calls for end to EU unanimity rule to stop decision-making ‘standstill’

Published by Sam Flores

During a keynote speech in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called for the EU’s unanimity principle to be scrapped. Instead, a “qualified majority” should be enough, he said at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation on Wednesday. The move would effectively abolish the veto power that currently allows any one of the blocks 27 member states to block major decisions, making consensus “significantly” easier. Unanimity, Wadephul said, would continue to be the goal, though. A qualified majority could “make the EU capable of acting in areas where it currently has to remain at a standstill,” he claimed. “Under our leadership, twelve member states have already come together to bring about this change.” In recent months, Hungary’s blockade of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sparked controversy. Orbán has previously agreed to the loan, but enforced the blockade after damages at the Druzbha pipeline, which temporarily disrupted Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia. The Hungarian PM later reversed his position after being defeated by Péter Magyar in the country’s elections …

Taking the Pressure Off of Decision-Making

Taking the Pressure Off of Decision-Making

Published by Jenni Sidey

Source: Jametlene Reskp/Unsplash Most of us don’t learn how to make decisions without the accompanying stress and pressure, and we likely didn’t have models of that. The stress and pressure reflect our investment in our decision, being only about what we intend, which would call for divine intervention. Our decision-making is always guided by unconscious biases and insufficient information. We can be haunted by the voice of early authority figures insisting upon the rightness of our decisions. When that happens, the ego can fall into a compensatory pattern, insisting on a guarantee of making the right decision. Bringing Ease to Our Decisions We won’t always be able to make decisions stress-free. We can make our decisions considerably easier. Clarify the options. Identify what makes one option more appealing than others. Decide if your favored alternative may have foreseeable consequences that you believe you are not prepared to handle. Either decide you can summon external resources to help you or reconsider your options. Identify what you want and value. Desire can be more easily identified than …

Mathematical model sheds light on the hidden psychology behind authoritarian decision-making

Mathematical model sheds light on the hidden psychology behind authoritarian decision-making

Published by José Betancourt

A recent study suggests that authoritarian leaders are most likely to initiate major democratic reforms when they possess a specific blend of impulsive optimism and rational calculation. By using mathematical models to map how political leaders process risk and reward, the research provides evidence that the path to reform often looks risky in the short term but beneficial in the long term. The findings were published in the American Journal of Political Science. Eugene Yu Ji, a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive science and computer science at the University of Waterloo and the Mila Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, conducted the study to understand the psychological mechanisms behind major political changes. Ji, who was a postdoctoral teaching fellow at the University of Chicago during the study, wanted to explain why powerful leaders sometimes voluntarily give up control. Previous research tends to focus on the broad social and economic pressures facing a government rather than the people in charge. Ji designed this research to bridge the gap between those large-scale political dynamics and the individual cognitive processes that …

Addiction is linked to inconsistent decision-making, not ignoring consequences

Addiction is linked to inconsistent decision-making, not ignoring consequences

Published by José Betancourt

People who regularly use drugs may not simply ignore negative consequences—but may instead struggle to consistently act on them, according to new research published in Translational Psychiatry. Traditionally, scientists have argued that individuals with more severe substance use become less sensitive to negative consequences such as health problems or financial loss. However, real-world decisions are rarely that simple. People often face competing costs—for example, the discomfort of withdrawal or loneliness if they stop using versus the long-term harm of continuing. These decisions also take place in environments that can be stable or constantly changing, adding another layer of complexity. Hence, the researchers behind this study wanted to move beyond simplified models of decision-making. Instead of focusing only on rewards or single types of cost, they examined how people compare multiple costs and how their decisions shift depending on the stability of their environment. Led by Sonia G. Ruiz, the Yale University team recruited 137 adults aged 18 to 65 from the community, 75% of whom had a history of regular substance use. To measure substance …

Why RFK’s CDC Is Endorsing ‘Shared Decisionmaking’ for Vaccines

Why RFK’s CDC Is Endorsing ‘Shared Decisionmaking’ for Vaccines

Published by skeptic

In the year that US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been in office, his agency has made unprecedented changes to the childhood immunization schedule, removing universal recommendations for a half-dozen vaccines in favor of “shared clinical decisionmaking.” The term has become something of a mantra for Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, who is also temporarily leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has said he believes “very fundamentally in shared decisionmaking.” And in her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate health committee in February, US surgeon general nominee Casey Means invoked shared clinical decisionmaking when senators pressed her about her views on vaccines. On its face, the term seems reasonable. It refers to a conversation between a health care provider and a patient or their guardian about the benefits and risks of a medical intervention and whether it makes sense for that individual to receive it. But public health experts say that the term has been co-opted by the …

The Impact of Fake News on Health and Decision-Making

The Impact of Fake News on Health and Decision-Making

Published by Jenni Sidey

In recent years, the spread of fake news—particularly in the health domain—has become a significant concern. Misinformation about medical treatments, vaccines, and diseases often circulates rapidly on social media and other online platforms, sometimes outpacing factual information. The proportion of health-related misinformation on social media ranged from 0.2% to 28.8%[1]. This can lead people to develop false beliefs about health risks, remedies, and preventive measures, which may influence their decisions in ways that are detrimental to their well-being. Fake news and health Gelfert (2018)[2] defines fake news as the deliberate presentation of false or misleading claims as news, which are misleading by design. This definition suggests that the information is knowingly false or misleading. The content, sources, and channels are structured to deceive, rather than just being accidental misinformation. Fake news in the context of health refers to the deliberate dissemination of false or misleading information, typically presented as legitimate reporting, that can have a profound effect on how the public understands health-related topics. This kind of misinformation includes rumors, conspiracy theories, pseudoscientific claims, and …

Cannabis use associated with better decision-making skills in people with bipolar disorder

Cannabis use associated with better decision-making skills in people with bipolar disorder

Published by José Betancourt

A new study published in Translational Psychiatry suggests that chronic cannabis use may not be associated with cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder, contrasting with its effects on healthy individuals. The findings indicate that people with bipolar disorder who use cannabis moderately may possess better decision-making skills than those with the disorder who do not use the drug. This research offers a potential explanation for why many individuals with this condition turn to cannabis for symptom management. Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. These shifts typically range from periods of extremely energized behavior, known as manic episodes, to very sad or hopeless periods, known as depressive episodes. Beyond these emotional symptoms, the disorder is frequently accompanied by cognitive deficits. Individuals with bipolar disorder often struggle with goal-directed behaviors. This includes difficulties with decision-making and inhibitory control. These cognitive impairments can lead to impulsive actions and engagement in risky behaviors. These deficits can severely impact social relationships, occupational stability, and overall quality of …

What ice fishing can teach you about human decision-making

What ice fishing can teach you about human decision-making

Published by Jenni Sidey

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, TU Berlin, and the University of Eastern Finland set out to answer a basic question about human behavior: how do people decide where to search and when to move on when resources are uncertain and others are competing for the same prize? To find out, the international team left the laboratory and followed experienced ice fishers during real competitions in eastern Finland. By combining GPS tracking, wearable cameras, and computer modeling, the scientists captured thousands of real-time decisions made under pressure. The result is one of the most detailed field studies to date on how personal experience and social cues guide human choices. The study tracked 74 seasoned ice fishers across ten three-hour competitions held on frozen lakes over two winters. Each participant wore a GPS smartwatch and a head-mounted camera, allowing researchers to reconstruct movements and actions second by second. Across 477 fishing trips, the team recorded more than 16,000 decisions about where to drill, how long to fish, and when to leave. “We wanted …