What do I want to study? What do I want to do? Do I get married or not? Do I want to have children? Each and every one of these questions has something in common: giving an answer implies making decisions about some kind of situation or aspect of our lives. In our daily lives we have to choose, decide and make decisions constantly.

And although it may be relatively automated in many cases, the truth is that making a decision or determination is a very complex process, since it requires a great deal of effort and sub-processes at both the functional and anatomical-brain levels. In addition, there are many factors that can influence the moment of choosing, and different motivations that can alter the final decision.

Throughout this article we will talk about what decision making is , different factors that can affect it and the main steps involved in making a choice.

Decision-making: a fundamental element in our lives

While we all constantly make choices and determine the course of action through our own decision-making, it is not so common to stop and think about what it means to have this capability, where it comes from or even what we are talking about.

We give the name of decision making to the set of processes through which a subject makes the determination to select one of the multiple options possible from among those presented, based on a large number of factors surrounding the subject’s personal situation and the situation or element to be chosen from.

In other words, it is the set of mental activities that we carry out to give an answer in a context where we have to choose between several alternatives.

It is about one of the so-called executive functions , which are conceptualized as the set of cognitive abilities and skills through which we can be able to solve situations to which we are not accustomed, which are new to us and for which we do not have a strategy or action plan previously established.

These allow us to adapt to the environment and survive by making us capable of working with all the information and internal and external stimuli that are available, so that we can regulate our activity to carry out our purposes.

Usually this process is carried out in order to solve some kind of problem . This is a process that can be both conscious (especially if the problem in question is relevant to us) and semi-conscious in cases where the decision to be made is automated.

It is important to take into account that, as with the rest of the executive functions, decision-making is not a process that takes place in isolation from other mental processes, but depends on the existence of other mental processes that allow us to capture, synthesize and work with the information.

Among many other related functions, choosing implies keeping the available options in memory , being able to pay attention to each one of them and calculating based on previous experiences and knowledge possible outcomes of the different choices. It also implies the ability to perceive environmental stimuli and one’s own sensations, thoughts and beliefs, as well as the will and motivation to plan and carry out an action.

Areas of the brain involved

The decision-making process, like all other executive functions, depends mainly on our frontal lobe and its connections with the rest of the brain .

It is in this part of the neocortex, especially in its ventromedial part, that the necessary mental operations are processed and carried out to make choices, make predictions and evaluate the costs or benefits of taking one or another option.

However, the decision-making process also depends at the brain level on structures such as the insula, amygdala and basal ganglia, as well as the dorsolateral prefrontal.

Influential factors

As we have already mentioned, a large number of different factors are involved in making decisions. Among these factors, the motivation of the subject to solve the problem or make a choice with the aim of achieving a desirable result stands out, that is, the fact that making a decision or not making one is relevant to us or that it generates some kind of pleasant or unpleasant consequence.

Self-esteem, a sense of self-efficacy and the locus of control are also key aspects when it comes to making decisions: we will make decisions more easily if we believe that our actions will have an impact or influence the outcome of the situation, and we will be able to carry them out more safely if we believe that we are capable of making decisions and carrying out the actions that result from that decision.

Another aspect to be assessed is the expectations we have regarding the reality or possible consequences of our choices. In addition to this, the calculation of benefits and costs of each choice can alter the type of determination we make . Likewise, we must also evaluate the effect of not choosing the rest of the alternatives: choosing one implies that the rest, and its possible repercussions, will not occur.

In addition, at the cognitive level, we must take into account the existence of possible biases, such as the tendency to interpret reality based on what the subject believes beforehand without considering other copings, the belief that other more expert people will always be right, the tendency to modify decisions based on what is expressed by the group or the presence of disagreements between what is believed to be better and what is done. All this can alter the decision making process.

Emotions can also play an important role . In this sense, we must also take into account the assessment made of the different possible outcomes of our actions. And not only the emotions that elicit the possible options should be valued, but also the emotional state of the subject when it comes to making the decision: a sad or depressed person will make choices differently from what they would do if they were happy and joyful.

Another emotion that can cause problems is fear: it can lead to a more hurried response or even the impossibility or difficulty of making decisions, and it can also affect stress or anxiety.

Some psychopathologies and even some medical illnesses or injuries can also alter the capacity for reasoning and decision making, generally making it difficult (either because the process is slowed down or accelerated, or because there are problems in generating alternatives).

On a more environmental level, it should be noted that there can also be a great influence from the environment . The learning that we have done throughout our lives, the beliefs and idiosyncrasies of our culture, the parental models that we have had or the type of social network in which we move may facilitate, make difficult or moderate the decision making towards a specific type of action.

Decision-making phases

Making a decision is not something immediate, but involves a set of mental steps or actions prior to the final choice .

First of all, in order to make a decision, we have to be clear about the situation in which we have to make it. That is to say, it is first necessary that a situation or event occurs and is recognized as such, which leads us to consider different options when taking an action. In other words, we must perceive the problem.

Once in that situation or in anticipation of it, the next step is to define it and determine which aspects are relevant in order to be able to generate alternatives that can respond to the situation, as well as to identify to what extent they do so.

After that and based on those criteria we will proceed as far as possible to elaborate the maximum number of possible solutions or alternative actions. At this point only alternatives are generated, although we generally discard the strangest and most unfeasible ones as we go along.

Of all these options, our mind leads us to assess those that seem most appropriate and viable, trying to make a prediction of their usefulness and functionality and what the possible results of the different options would be. Risks and benefits are calculated.

After that, we proceed to choose one, which will then be assessed in more depth before being carried out. Afterwards, the decision itself is made, which may lead to its implementation in reality (and a subsequent evaluation of the results and comparison between what has been achieved and what is expected).

Bibliographic references:

  • Naqvi, N.; Shiv, B.; Bechara, A. (2006). The role of emotion in decision making: a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 15 (5): 260–264.
  • Verdejo-García, A. and Bechara, A. (2010). Neuropsychology of executive functions. Psicothema, 22 (2): 227-235.