The pandemic has made many of us acutely aware of the daily risks we need to take. The ancient Greeks often did not leave risky choices up to individuals alone.
People have plenty of individual reasons to stick with or end a romantic relationship. But researchers have identified some common themes that influence this big decision.
Cognitive shortcuts help you efficiently move through a complicated world. But they come with an unwelcome side effect: Facts aren’t necessarily enough to change your mind.
During Mental Health Week, let’s look at why some people, such as those experiencing depression or substance dependency, struggle to make decisions like everyone else.
Have you ever watched something because YouTube recommended it to you? You’ve probably been influenced by an algorithm. But at the end of the day, underneath all the algorithms are people.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised inclusive decision-making informed by scientific evidence. Such an approach would serve to depoliticise and rationalise decision-making.
The science to policy process that was developed to guide climate mitigation decisions can be applied to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, without having to be reinvented.
Is it safe to nip out for milk? Should I download the COVIDSafe app? Is it OK to wear my pyjamas in a Zoom meeting? All these extra decisions are taking their toll.
A scholar who studies consumer decision-making explains just what it is in the human mind that makes people susceptible to nudges toward one behavior or another.