Principles of Wise Decision Making; Problem Structuring

Work sheet: Principles of Wise Decision Making; Problem Structuring (max 30 pts)

Note: Whenever the questions allow it (here for all questions except the first one), your answer needs to refer to contents you have learned in the reading, and apply those contents to your own personal decision. You will not receive full points if you only talk about the book contents without applying them to your own personal decision. As a rule of thumb, if you find your answer in the book, or if anybody else could have come up with the same answer, it is not specific enough to your situation. On the other hand, you will also not receive full points if only talk about your decision, without relating every part of your answer very clearly to the reading.

This grading criterion will apply to all worksheets throughout the class.

Please write your answers in a different font color than black. If you just write into the space where it says “Answer:…”, this should automatically be the case.

When you’re finished, upload your completed assignment as a .doc file in the assignment section.

Before you start: If you haven’t done so yet, think about a personal decision you would like to work on. You will probably benefit most from the work we do in the next couple weeks if you pick a decision that is really difficult and important to you, and that you don’t mind sharing with your class mates. It should be a decision on which you have not already made up your mind.

You will be able to keep working on the same decision for the rest of the class, as long as this is still helpful to you, or start over with a new one later.

1. Your Decision. [2 pts]

Briefly (!) describe the decision you want to work on during this class.

[Worth 2 points. For this question there are no wrong answers! It really only serves as information for me, so that your answers later on will make sense.]

Answer: …

2. Cognitive Conflict. [3×2 = 6 pts]

2.a) Do you experience an optimal (intermediate) amount of cognitive conflict for your decision? Explain why, or why not. [Worth 2 points]

Answer: …

2.b) How could you raise the level of cognitive conflict in your decision? [Worth 2 points]

Answer: …

2.c) How could you lower it? [Worth 2 points]

Answer: …

3. Warning Signs and Correctives. [18 pts]

By writing into the table below, reflect on how each of the three principles of wise decision-making might have been impacting your thoughts about your own decision before you began this course. For each of the three departures from wise decision-making, describe two warning signs you have been able to observe in yourself. Then, for each warning sign, indicate a corrective measure that you could take to deal with these problems. You need to address each principle, the warning signs that may have been present, and the proposed solution for each. (In other words, you need to write into each of the non-colored cells.)

The table will expand as you write. In the end, your table should fill at least one page.

[Worth 6 points per principle = 18 points max]

4. Problem Structuring. [4 pts]

Structure (define) your own decision in the way the book suggests, so that you can start with a clean slate.

· Eliminate all your alternatives from your decision problem question.

· Structure your question in an open-ended format.

Please describe the decision you are considering (the same decision that you described in Question 1.) again, using this kind of open-ended question.

[Worth 4 points.]

Answer: …