Watch How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making

Name: How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making
Released: 2016-09-23
Cast: Ryan Hamilton

2016
1 Season

How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making is an engaging and informative course offered by The Great Courses Signature Collection. Presented by Ryan Hamilton, a professor of marketing at Emory University, the course explores the complex and fascinating world of human decision making.

Over the course of 24 lectures, Ryan Hamilton leads viewers through a journey into the intricate workings of the human mind. Drawing on the latest findings from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics, he examines how our brains process information and make choices. He delves into both the conscious and unconscious aspects of decision making, exploring everything from our most basic instincts to our most deeply held beliefs.

The course is designed to be accessible and engaging for viewers of all backgrounds. Whether you're a student of psychology, a business professional, or simply someone curious about the mysteries of the human mind, How You Decide is sure to captivate and inform.

The lectures are organized around a series of key themes, each of which sheds light on a different aspect of the decision-making process. For example, in one lecture, Ryan Hamilton explores the role of emotion in decision making, examining how our feelings can sometimes override our rational thinking. In another lecture, he discusses the importance of context, showing how our decisions are often shaped by the environment around us.

Throughout the course, Ryan Hamilton uses a variety of real-world examples to illustrate his points. He draws on everything from the world of sports to the field of healthcare, demonstrating how the principles of decision making apply in a wide range of settings.

One of the most compelling aspects of the course is its emphasis on actionable insights. Ryan Hamilton doesn't just explain the science behind decision making, he also provides practical advice for applying it in everyday life. Whether you're looking to make better financial decisions, improve your relationships, or simply navigate the world more effectively, the course offers a wealth of valuable tips and strategies.

In addition to the core video lectures, How You Decide also provides a number of interactive features to help viewers deepen their understanding of the material. The course includes quizzes, polls, and discussion forums, all of which allow viewers to engage with the material and reflect on their own decision-making patterns.

Overall, How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making is an excellent resource for anyone interested in understanding the mysteries of the human mind. Ryan Hamilton is an engaging and knowledgeable host, and the course is packed with valuable insights and practical advice. Whether you're a student, a business professional, or simply someone curious about how your brain works, this is a course that is sure to enrich your understanding of decision making and help you lead a more satisfying and successful life.

How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (23 episodes). The series first aired on September 23, 2016.

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Seasons

24. The Four Rs of Decision Making

January 1, 1970

Scientists don't anticipate developing one unified theory to model decision making; human beings are just too complex. But you can improve your own decision making--as well as your ability to understand and influence the decisions of others--with these powerful empirical generalizations: reference points, reasons, resources, and replacement.

23. Halo Effects and Choice

September 23, 2016

Can a marketing campaign affect how a food tastes? Even though you know the ad hasn't changed the food itself, medical imaging reveals that your brain reacts as if it did! Learn about the fascinating ways in which this halo effect can hinder or help the accuracy of your decision making.

22. How Evaluability Affects Decisions

September 23, 2016

Research shows that when evaluating options, we tend to place more importance on attributes we understand and less importance on those we don't--without considering relevance to the decision at hand. Learn how to better evaluate the choices in front of you and to avoid as many poor-decision pitfalls as possible.

21. Assortments, Variety, and Choice

September 23, 2016

Although consumers almost always say they want more options, research shows that when faced with too many choices, consumers are sometimes unable to make any decision at all. Decision science reveals the best tools to use to narrow your choices when deciding on everything from a movie to a soul mate.

20. The Role of Memory in Decisions

January 1, 1970

In addition to the new information your brain is constantly acquiring, you use memory in your decision-making process. In fact, the quality of any decision often depends on accessing the appropriate memories at the appropriate time. Learn how some surprising tools can help you recall those memories more effectively.

19. How Framing Effects Guide Decisions

September 23, 2016

Even as children, we learned that the way in which we presented a choice to our parents was often as important as the specific question we asked. Decision science reveals just how that tool--decision framing--can be used to our benefit, and how it is used to manipulate our choices as consumers.

18. How Context Influences Choice

September 23, 2016

Uncover the many unexpected ways in which information context affects our decisions. What happens when our mind acts like a big shovel, scooping up all the data in its path and processing that information together, whether relevant or not? Scientific studies reveal how the choice context can lead to some surprising decisions.

17. Decision Rules

September 23, 2016

How much information do you collect before making a decision? How much is optimal? Do you focus on the pertinent data or let extraneous information affect your choices? Discover the decision rules we use every day, and learn about the many fascinating real-world ways in which we evaluate and compare choices.

16. Regulatory Focus and Human Motivation

September 23, 2016

For centuries, decision-making motivation was seen in the context of maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. But recent scientific research reveals a more complex framework. Regulatory Focus theory shows that we operate from four motivational states, not two, and it reveals a richer and more accurate framework for understanding our decisions.

15. An Evolutionary View of Decision Making

September 23, 2016

You might never have thought to blame a bad decision on your ancestors' development millennia ago, but there just might be reason to. Learn about the often surprising and unexpected ways in which evolutionary drives--hidden beneath the surface of our control panel--guide our decision processes even today, for better or for worse.

14. Nonconscious Influences on Decision Making

January 1, 1970

Can subliminal messages cause us to make decisions almost against our will? Although a major hoax perpetrated on a panicked public caused us to believe just that for a while, science has demonstrated that we have more control than that--but there is still reason to be wary. Learn about the scientifically proven ways in which we are subtly influenced by subliminal messages and environmental cues.

12. How Consistency Drives Decisions

September 23, 2016

Learn how the strong desire for consistency--between beliefs and actions, and between current and past actions--drives both our decision making and our judgment of others' actions. But what happens when our own actions are not consistent with our stated beliefs? Decision science reveals that we tend to make a surprising accommodation.

11. The Role of Mindsets in Decision Making

September 23, 2016

We don't make decisions in a vacuum. Before we even have the opportunity to decide our next action, before a stimulus even comes our way, we are mentally prepared to receive it. Our mindset, that stage of mental preparation, significantly affects how we perceive and process information and the decisions that result.

10. Mental Accounting as a Factor in Decisions

September 23, 2016

Mental accounting is a powerful decision-making tool we can employ to improve our lives. Learn how the process of partitioning objects and experiences in purposeful ways--everything from money and food to debt and social obligations--can increase happiness, decrease pain, and lead to better physical and emotional health.

9. Reason-Based Choice

September 23, 2016

Even when manufacturing the seemingly simplest of decisions, our control panel can steer us in the wrong direction. Learn why our cognitive machinery often over-weights attributes, considers information that really has no bearing on the decision at hand, and sometimes makes short-term evaluations that won't serve us well later.

8. How Goals Guide Our Decisions

September 23, 2016

Can you influence the cognitive machinery that manufactures your decisions? Absolutely. Learn why and how our goals motivate us, which goals inspire our greatest effort, and how best to motivate others to help them meet their own goals--whether it's your sales team at work or your children at home.

7. Emotional Influences on Decision Making

September 23, 2016

Have you ever driven a bit recklessly when you felt angry or frustrated? If so, you know that emotions affect our decisions. Recently, scientists have discovered that our emotions play an even larger role than previously thought; in fact, they are an integral and necessary part of our cognitive machinery.

6. The Value Curve and Human Decisions

September 23, 2016

Prospect Theory reveals the ways in which our decision-making machinery values an item and why. Learn how to make better decisions by understanding appropriate reference points, sensitivity to changes in value, and the super-sensitivity we all experience when it comes to potential loss.

5. Self-Regulation and Choice

September 23, 2016

Have you ever felt that your mind was so overworked you just could not make one more decision? Learn about the cognitive "fuel" needed for System 2 to rein in the automatic responses of System 1, and figure out how to recognize when you really are too resource-depleted to make your best decisions.

4. How Habits Make Decisions Easier

September 23, 2016

Habits are our immediate automatic responses--good and bad--to situations when we don't take the time to manufacture a purposeful decision. Decision science gives us the psychological framework within which to understand how habits form and are activated, and how best to change them when we want to.

3. The Role of Heuristics in Decisions

September 23, 2016

Heuristics are the decision shortcuts that people use every day. While too imprecise to lead to optimal decisions, they are powerful tools that allow you to make appropriate decisions fairly easily. However, if you don't understand the limitations of heuristics, they can easily lead you astray from the truth into stereotyping and assumptions.

2. The Two-System Model of Decision Making

September 23, 2016

What's going on in your cognitive machinery as you manufacture your decision? Delve into the two-system model of decision making: System 1 is your automatic and intuitive processor, your earlier system from an evolutionary perspective; and System 2 is the flexible, powerful serial processor that you think of as "you."

1. Thinking Scientifically about Decisions

September 23, 2016

Have you ever wondered why people make the decisions they do? Using the metaphor of manufacturing, learn what science has revealed about human decision making: informational raw materials go in, the cognitive machinery processes, control mechanisms guide the machinery, and a decision is made.

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Where to Watch How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making

How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making is available for streaming on the The Great Courses Signature Collection website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch How You Decide: The Science of Human Decision Making on demand at Amazon Prime, Amazon and Hoopla.