Goal:
- Donder (in what is considered one of the first cognitive psychology experiments), wanted to figure out how long it takes for someone to make a decision

How:
- To measure decision time, Donder's measured the simple reaction time from a participant indicating a light went on and the choice reaction time from a participating choosing between which of two lights went on. After both measurements, the decision time was measured by subtracting simple decision time from choice decision time (in hopes of only leaving the time for the decision).

Equation:
- Decision time = choice reaction time - simple reaction time

Donder's reaction time experiment

How long it takes someone to make a decision

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

- Heuristics and biases
- Desirable difficulty
- Decision time
- Reasoning
- Expected emotions

Focuses of Research on  Decision-Making

Goldstein, E. B. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience. Nelson Education.


Cognitive psychology: Connecting mind, research and everyday experience

Decision time

A learning task that requires a considerable but desirable amount of effort, thereby improving long-term performance.

Examples:

- Interleaving Materials
- Spacing Studying
- Generation Effect
- Retrieval practice (testing)
- Varying Study Conditions

Desirable Difficulties

Assumes people are rational and posits that when people have all of the available information they will act to maximize expected utility.

Expected utility theory

The predictions of what emotions people think they will feel after making some decision. This affects the decision people make.

Expected emotions

Logical reasoning is the process of using a rational, systematic series of steps based on sound certain mathematical procedures and statements to arrive at a conclusion. 

There are three types of the reasoning:
- Abductive Reasoning 
- Deductive Reasoning 
- Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that people rely on to simplify the complex task of forming and maintaining beliefs. Because forming detailed and accurate beliefs requires extensive observation, memory, and analysis, individuals use these efficient cognitive strategies. However, relying on heuristics can sometimes lead to incorrect conclusions.

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