Deck 10: Making Good Decisions

Question 1

What is the first step in solving any problem?

A)generating alternatives
B)separating fact from opinion
C)defining the problem as clearly as possible
D)imagining the outcome

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Of the following, which is a useful way to generate a list of flexible alternatives?

A)Clearly identify your goals.
B)Freewrite continuously for five to 10 minutes.
C)Consider the outcomes of various options.
D)Brainstorm with other students and friends.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Identifying your short- and long-term goals should be the first step in

A)decision-making.
B)rethinking.
C)problem-solving.
D)transferring.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Decision-making is focused on choosing among alternatives. What is problem-solving focused on?

A)generating alternatives
B)creating solutions
C)following guidelines
D)critical thinking

Question 5

Generating alternatives is the primary goal of

A)critical-thinking.
B)problem-solving.
C)transferring.
D)following guidelines.

Question 6

Selecting among alternatives is the process of

A)rethinking.
B)decision-making.
C)transferring.
D)problem-solving.

Question 7

Transferring is

A)changing colleges.
B)changing circumstances.
C)changing your mind.
D)putting your thoughts on paper.

Question 8

Determining possible outcomes for each alternative is

A)a key step in assessing alternatives to make a decision.
B)the best way to freewrite.
C)the first step to identifying your goals.
D)taking on another perspective.

Question 9

Determining the likelihood that an outcome will take place is a step in

A)freewriting.
B)assessing your alternatives.
C)brainstorming.
D)carrying out your decision.

Question 10

Changing colleges is referred to as

A)decision making.
B)reconsidering.
C)transferring.
D)freewriting.

Question 11

People who change careers at age 45

A)will take longer to get to the top of the corporate ladder.
B)know that it's never too late to evaluate and rethink decisions.
C)were probably indecisive earlier in life.
D)will never be able to go back to their original careers.

Question 12

What is one key step in assessing alternatives to make a decision?

A)Go with your gut feeling.
B)Take another perspective.
C)Consider your prior experiences.
D)Determine possible outcomes for each alternative.

Question 13

Every decision starts with

A)thinking through all your options.
B)clarifying the details of your situation.
C)identifying your short- and long-term goals.
D)creating a practical, doable plan.

Question 14

Giving your decision time is a strategy to follow when you

A)determine outcomes.
B)freewrite.
C)assess alternatives.
D)can't make up your minD.Waiting can help. Time gives you a chance to think of additional alternatives.

Question 15

If you are having trouble making up your mind, you can always

A)ask for advice.
B)ignore your gut feeling.
C)carry out a random decision anyways.
D)determine your short- and long-term goals.

Question 16

Clearly defining the problem is the first step to

A)imagining the outcome.
B)generating alternatives.
C)separating fact from opinion.
D)problem-solving.

Question 17

Decision-making is the process of

A)thinking critically.
B)working backward.
C)choosing from various alternatives.
D)using analogies.

Question 18

The strategy of starting at the desired solution/goal and working toward the starting point of the problem is what type of strategy?

A)working backward
B)working ahead
C)decision-making
D)critical thinking

Question 19

Freewriting continuously for five to 10 minutes

A)is a useful way to compare alternatives.
B)determines if your outcomes will take place.
C)helps you identify your goals.
D)is a useful way to generate a list of flexible alternatives.

Question 20

You envision yourself in the future and how various options to your problem play out. What are you doing?

A)giving the decision time
B)making a mental movie prior to making a decision
C)asking for advice
D)going with your gut feeling

Question 21

A cognitive bias is

A)a method of jumping to conclusions.
B)another person's perspective.
C)a limitation, blind spot, or mistake in thinking that leads to illogical or erroneous decisions.
D)when you consider the opposite.

Question 22

Major decisions are seldom reversible.
If you select the wrong alternative, you should attempt to reverse course and reconsider your options.

Question 23

When weighing a decision, you should assume all outcomes have an equal probability of occurring.
Some outcomes are far more likely than others. Make a rough estimate of the likelihood that an outcome will come to pass, ranging from 100 percent (certainty) to 0 percent (impossibility).

Question 24

When you work backward, you

A)break the problem into smaller pieces.
B)use graphs, charts, and drawings to redefine your problem.
C)start with the desired solution and work backward, moving away from the goal.
D)use analogies.

Question 25

Every problem has a clear-cut solution.
Not every problem has a clear-cut solution. Sometimes we need to be satisfied with a degree of uncertainty and ambiguity.

Question 26

Which of the following is an opinion?

A)Many successful NBA centers have attended Georgetown or other top basketball programs.
B)NBA centers Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning all attended Georgetown University.
C)In order to be successful in the NBA, centers must first attend Georgetown University or another top basketball program.
D)Several NBA centers have credited former Georgetown coach John Thompson with helping them achieve success.

Question 27

"All college students who drink beer make less than a 4.0

A)myth is applicable to common sense.
B)truisms are factually true.
C)correlation proves causation.
D)generalities are definitive statements.
G)P.A. It is obvious then that drinking beer lowers a student's grades." The person who made this statement believes that

Question 28

In assessing alternatives, it is useful to compare them by taking into account their potential outcomes.
By comparing potential outcomes, your decision will be easier, but not necessarily easy.

Question 29

Having fewer alternatives to choose from makes it easier to reach the right decision.
After you have generated as many alternatives as you can, then you can go back and sift out the reasonable ones from the wacky ones.

Question 30

When alternatives seem equally positive or negative to you, it might be a good idea to take some time making your decision.
Sometimes waiting can help. Time can give you a chance to think of additional alternatives.

Question 31

Using simple common sense can be very helpful in making decisions.
Common sense often presents us with contradictory advice, making it a less-than-useful guide.

Question 32

Once you effectively solve your problem you should

A)go back and consider what it took to solve it.
B)apply your problem-solving process to every problem you encounter in the future.
C)create a graph to redefine the problem.
D)focus on the opposite of the problem.

Question 33

An example of an absolute statement is:

A)Everyone has seen Mary Poppins.
B)A lot of people have seen Mary Poppins.
C)Many children have seen Mary Poppins.
D)It is a fact that 82.5 percent of all children have seen Mary Poppins.

Question 34

Many local police forces are taking steps to eliminate racial profiling-the practice of stopping drivers only on the basis of their race or ethnicity. The racial profiling problem might be eliminated if

A)Hispanic and African American drivers stayed out of primarily white neighborhoods.
B)police officers did not rely so much on common sense.
C)police officers avoided reading materials describing Hispanic and African American drivers as bad drivers and poor risks.
D)police officers did not jump to conclusions about people based on their race/ethnicity.

Question 35

When making a decision, asking others for advice is not a recommended strategy.
Although our society teaches the virtues of individualism, asking a friend, instructor, parent, or counselor for advice can provide helpful recommendations.

Question 36

When you break your problem down into small, manageable pieces you

A)work backward.
B)reach subgoals, getting closer to your overall goal of solving the problem.
C)use graphs and charts.
D)redefine your problem.

Question 37

An analogy is

A)your perspective of two objects.
B)a way to work backward.
C)using the P.O.W.E.R. steps to solve your problem.
D)a comparison between concepts that are alike and dissimilar.

Question 38

Comparing two concepts or objects that have both similarities and differences is referred to as

A)a decision.
B)a perspective.
C)an analogy.
D)a subgoal.

Question 39

Laura is the only first-year student in her sorority who does not have a date for Saturday night. "I'm just a loser," she tells her mother over the telephone. This is an example of

A)circular reasoning.
B)one of the problems with the Greek system.
C)working backward to solve a problem.
D)the failure to recognize an analogy.

Question 40

A limitation, blind spot, or mistake in thinking that leads to illogical or erroneous decisions is referred to as

A)a cognitive bias.
B)a habitual pattern.
C)a pitfall.
D)an assumption.

Question 41

List five strategies you might use to solve a complicated problem (for example, how to prioritize paying bills that total more than the amount in your checking account, how to solve a complicated algebra problem, or how to synthesize all the material you have researched for an end-of-term paper). Then provide a brief example of how you would apply one of them to a problem you recently confronted.

Question 42

Being aware of the biases that may affect our thinking can help us avoid them.
Being able to think clearly and without bias is the basis for critical thinking.

Question 43

"There is no such thing as a bad movie." Do you consider this statement to be a fact or an opinion? Please explain your answer.

Question 44

Imagine that you have just graduated from college and are exploring various job opportunities. You have researched what each job involves, how likely you are to get it, and how the different workplaces compare with each other. What strategies might you use to make a final decision about which job to apply for?