ABSTRACT

Each of us makes decisions continually. In our personal lives, we make both routine, everyday decisions-such as what to wear each day, what to eat for dinner, and what movie to see on a Friday night-as well as more difficult, novel ones-such as whether to go to college, when to have children, and what medical treatments to accept. We also make consequential decisions in our work lives. Indeed, in some of our jobs, decision making is the core of our responsibilities-what tests a patient should have, what candidate should be our company’s next vice president, what plan is best for investing our client’s money. Typically, our decisions have significance for more than our own well-being; they greatly affect the welfare of those around us, including our families, our employers, and our communities. The specific content of the decision situations we face undoubtedly changes over the life span. But, the need to make decisions-and to make good ones-is always present.