Choosing a job, a medical treatment, or even a lunch order engages decision making—the process of selecting among alternatives under conditions of uncertainty or conflicting goals.

Normative models prescribe how a fully rational agent should choose; descriptive models show how people actually choose. Heuristics speed the process but introduce bias. Emotions, social context, and the way options are framed all sway outcomes. Dual-process theories distinguish fast, intuitive responses from slower, deliberative analysis.

Organizations try to improve decisions through structured protocols, diverse input, and decision-support tools. Individuals can counteract common errors by considering the opposite, seeking base rates, and pre-committing to criteria. Decision making is rarely purely cognitive; it is embedded in values, identities, and anticipated regret.

• Selecting among alternative courses of action
• Influenced by heuristics, emotion, and framing
• Studied with both normative and descriptive approaches
• Can be improved by structured methods