Deck 6: The Human Side of Planning: Decision Making and Critical Thinking

Question 1

People exclusively use their sympathetic nervous system when they are being nice to one another.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Choosing which college to attend is a programmed decision for students.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Mindfulness involves paying more attention to the factors that affect your decision making.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A celebrity spokesperson can provide a "halo effect" for a product.

Question 5

A good example of the 80/20 rule is that 80 percent of sales come from 20 percent of clients.

Question 6

Deduction involves starting with a specific case and using it to formulate a generalized rule.

Question 7

Decision making almost always includes both a logical and an emotional component.

Question 8

Stereotypes can facilitate easy decisions about how to behave if they are based on accurate and non-harmful assumptions.

Question 9

The "status quo" thinking trap contends that people are always trying to introduce changes and new items into their daily routine.

Question 10

Many of the decisions you make each day are automatic programmed decisions.

Question 11

A schema is a mental file where you store a thought or a memory.

Question 12

Because brain cells that regulate emotion link up with pattern-recognition brain cells,scientists warn people not to trust emotions in decision making.

Question 13

Intuitive decision making is always illogical.

Question 14

The first step of the decision-making process is to list alternatives for solving a problem.

Question 15

One reason that our decisions are made under conditions of bounded rationality is that we can never get all of the information that a situation requires.

Question 16

When you say a decision is a "no-brainer," you are talking about a nonprogrammed decision.

Question 17

A problem exists whenever a desired state is not in line with the actual state.

Question 18

When you satisfice,you will accept only the perfect solution to a problem.

Question 19

The final step of the decision-making process is to see if your solution to the problem worked.

Question 20

Accommodation is the act of force-fitting new information into an existing schema.

Question 21

A schema is ________.

A) a metaphor
B) a cognitive map of your entire brain
C) the mental "file" of a thought or memory
D) the filing system that cognitive scientists use

Question 22

The sympathetic nervous system controls ________.

A) conscious thought
B) things like heart rate and blood pressure
C) all bodily processes
D) perceptions

Question 23

Nonprogrammed decisions are typically ________.

A) straightforward
B) uncomplicated
C) unexciting
D) unique

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a programmed decision?

A) deciding which shoes to wear to the gym
B) deciding which job candidate to hire
C) deciding which computer to buy
D) deciding which country to go for travel

Question 25

Pure,formal logic is frequently used in ________.

A) nonprogrammed decision making
B) programmed decision making
C) both programmed and nonprogrammed decision making
D) computer programming and mathematics

Question 26

The halo effect is a kind of stereotype that ________.

A) sees a person in a positive light based on a previous positive experience
B) sees a person in a negative light based on a previous positive experience
C) associates a person with an ethnic group
D) only focuses on the positive aspects of future decisions

Question 27

Stereotypes are ________.

A) simplistic generalizations
B) overly complex schemas
C) pieces of information that don't fit into schemas
D) over-stuffed schemas

Question 28

What does the devil effect typically focus on?

A) the group that a person belongs to
B) a single positive trait that is the first thing noticed by an observer
C) the unethical nature of stereotypes
D) a single negative trait that is the first thing noticed by an observer

Question 29

Forcing a completely new and unique piece of information into an existing schema is called ________.

A) integration
B) accommodation
C) assimilation
D) manipulation

Question 30

Decision making is a(n)________ process.

A) unbiased
B) unbiased cognitive, emotional, and neuropsychological
C) cognitive, emotional, and neuropsychological
D) cognitive, non-emotional, and neurophysiological

Question 31

Which statement is most accurate?

A) Stereotypes are never useful.
B) Stereotypes are always useful.
C) Stereotypes can be useful.
D) Stereotypes do not affect decisions.

Question 32

Decision making ________ has an emotional component.

A) frequently
B) never
C) always
D) rarely

Question 33

How does Ivor D'Souza of the National Library of Medicine believe leaders can get employees involved in innovation?

A) by tapping into their intuition
B) by asking them open-ended questions
C) by listening to the top-performing 20 percent of staff
D) by running mindfulness training programs

Question 34

When a piece of information fits in with a mental category that you already have,you are likely to ________.

A) store the information in a new schema
B) store the information in an existing schema
C) destroy an existing schema
D) ignore the information

Question 35

When a piece of information does not fit in with an existing mental category,you are likely to ________.

A) store the information in a new schema
B) discard the information from the existing schema
C) destroy an existing schema
D) ignore the information

Question 36

Attractiveness creates ________ bias because it causes a person to confer ________ traits to that person.

A) stereotype, positive
B) halo effect, positive
C) devil effect, negative
D) halo effect, positive or negative

Question 37

Which types of stereotypes are most likely to be harmful?

A) stereotypes about companies
B) stereotypes about products
C) stereotypes about ethnic groups
D) stereotypes about technologies

Question 38

The process of adapting one's cognitive categorization system to allow for new information,new schemas,and new ways of understanding information is called ________.

A) reconciliation
B) accommodation
C) assimilation
D) integration

Question 39

Programmed decisions are typically ________.

A) complex
B) difficult
C) routine
D) nonroutine

Question 40

Deciding what to do in an ethical dilemma is a ________ decision because ________.

A) programmed; it involves ethics
B) nonprogrammed; it is simple
C) nonprogrammed; it requires analysis
D) programmed; it requires analysis

Question 41

Which statement best describes a key assumption of bounded rationality?

A) Information is never complete.
B) Information is never completely accurate.
C) Information is never complete nor is it completely accurate.
D) Information is either complete or completely accurate, but not both.

Question 42

Favoring new choices that are similar to the current situation refers to which thinking trap?

A) status quo
B) anchoring
C) sunk costs
D) confirming evidence

Question 43

A decision maker is using deduction when he or she begins with a ________ and uses it to ________.

A) specific conclusion; create a general rule
B) specific conclusion; draw another specific conclusion
C) general rule; create another general rule
D) general rule; draw a specific conclusion

Question 44

________ is a state in which we are awake,aware,and attuned to ourselves,others,and our environment.

A) Single-loop learning
B) Intuition
C) Mindfulness
D) Double-loop learning

Question 45

An inference uses ________ to draw a conclusion.

A) subconscious information
B) evidence or known information
C) presuppositions and assumptions
D) pure logic

Question 46

Which sentence best defines a problem?

A) A problem exists when your current state is not in line with an ideal state.
B) A problem exists when your ideal state is not properly defined.
C) A problem exists when your current state is not in line with your desired state.
D) A problem exists when it is not possible for you to reach your ideal state.

Question 47

In single-loop learning,a person changes his or her ________ as a result of experience ________.

A) beliefs; but not the behavior that expresses those beliefs
B) behavior; but not the beliefs that underlie the behavior
C) behavior; as well as the beliefs that underlie the behavior
D) beliefs; as well as the behavior that expresses those beliefs

Question 48

The Delphi technique is essentially a focus group of ________.

A) ordinary citizens
B) employees
C) experts
D) managers

Question 49

When people satisfice,they select ________.

A) a less than optimal choice
B) the optimal choice under any conditions
C) the second-best choice
D) a choice that is likely to be inadequate

Question 50

Intuition employs ________ knowledge.

A) conscious
B) unconscious
C) purely programmable
D) illogical

Question 51

In the decision-making process,when you allocate weights to decision criteria you are ________.

A) identifying the satisficing categories
B) identifying possible solutions
C) evaluating possible solutions
D) rating the categories by importance

Question 52

The 80/20 rule holds that ________.

A) small inputs result in small outputs
B) small inputs often result in large outputs
C) large inputs often result in large outputs
D) inputs are completely unrelated to outputs

Question 53

A chess player typically relies on which kind of decision making when considering a chess move?

A) logical only
B) intuitive only
C) both logical and intuitive
D) neither logical and intuitive

Question 54

What is the first step in the decision-making process?

A) ask the question
B) identify the problem
C) list alternatives
D) choose an alternative

Question 55

When a manager uses a spreadsheet,charts,and graphs to analyze sales data,which critical thinking skill is he or she using?

A) recognition of assumptions
B) evaluation of arguments
C) interpretation
D) deduction

Question 56

Participants in the first stage of a brainstorming session typically ________.

A) offer ideas without any critiquing
B) critique each others' ideas harshly
C) prioritize ideas that have been suggested in previous sessions
D) listen to suggestions from experts

Question 57

Selectively seeking out information that supports your point of view refers to which thinking trap?

A) sunk costs
B) confirming evidence
C) framing
D) anchoring

Question 58

Which kinds of decisions are hardest to evaluate?

A) a decision made by a single person
B) unemotional decisions
C) a decision made by an organization
D) emotionally charged group decisions

Question 59

Which statement is TRUE about intuition?

A) Intuition is usually logical and useful.
B) Intuition is usually logical but not useful.
C) Intuition is usually illogical but still useful.
D) Intuition is usually illogical and not useful.

Question 60

Which of the following describes the "sunk costs" thinking trap?

A) Let sleeping dogs lie.
B) Your first impression is usually right.
C) Don't throw good money after bad.
D) Always start with the low-hanging fruit.

Question 61

Cole has been directed by upper management to lay off five of his team members.Each employee has merits,and he has worked with them for many years.At which stage of the decision-making process will Cole's emotions and intuition most likely play an important role?

A) establishing decision criteria
B) analyzing alternatives
C) allocating weights to decision criteria
D) evaluating the decision

Question 62

In double-loop learning,a person changes his or her ________ as a result of experience ________.

A) beliefs; but not the behavior that expresses those beliefs
B) behavior; but not the beliefs that underlie the behavior
C) behavior; as well as the beliefs that underlie the behavior
D) beliefs; as well as the situation that challenged those beliefs

Question 63

Brendan and Leo are looking to purchase their first home.Which of the following identifies weighted decision criteria they might establish for this decision?

A) List house styles such as ranch, bungalow, and townhouse.
B) Make an unranked list of characteristics such as price, neighborhood, and lot size.
C) Rank the general importance of characteristics such as price, neighborhood, and lot size.
D) Use data to rank individual homes with respect to price, neighborhood, and lot size.

Question 64

Which statement is accurate about decision making?

A) Decision making is a purely rational process.
B) Decision making is not a purely rational process.
C) Decision making is a purely emotional process.
D) Decision making is not an emotional process.

Question 65

Nan wants to take her newly adopted son on his first real summer vacation.Nan considered a camping trip,going to a big theme park,and even a cruise,but she decided to rent a cottage on Cape Cod because her parents took her there when she was little.Which sentence best describes Nan's decision making?

A) She is relying on intuition.
B) She is relying on emotion.
C) She is being purely rational.
D) She is being purely irrational.

Question 66

Sarah and Yuri are getting married and have tasted ten different wedding cakes.All of them are great,but they can't seem to agree on a final selection.With so many other things to focus on,they decide to go with the mid-priced cake and move on.Sarah and Yuri are ________.

A) being intuitive
B) satisficing
C) letting their emotions take over
D) being purely rational

Question 67

People who carry out double-loop learning are ________ to repeat problem behavior because they have ________ the beliefs that underlie their behavior.

A) not likely; changed
B) not likely; not changed
C) likely; not changed
D) likely; changed

Question 68

Teresa has been researching a number of colleges.After seeing a TV profile of students at Humboldt State,she decided to apply there because they seemed like "her kind of people." Which sentence best describes her decision making?

A) She is relying on intuition.
B) She is relying on analysis.
C) She is being purely rational.
D) She is being logical.

Question 69

Jose has spent the last three weekends test-driving new cars.At which stage of the decision-making process will Jose actually buy his car?

A) when he finally identifies the problem
B) when he identifies reasonable criteria
C) when he implements a specific alternative
D) when he analyzes his alternatives

Question 70

You meet a dog named Sam.How are you likely to store this information in your brain?

A) in an existing "ordinary dog name" schema that includes other dogs that you know: Rover, Barky, and Lucy
B) in a new "dog name" schema created especially for Sam, while retaining any other existing "dog name" schemas
C) in a "name" schema that includes other individuals that you know: Bill, Nancy, and so on
D) after deleting any "ordinary dog name" schema that you already have, in a new "ordinary dog name" schema for Sam

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT a lesson that the 80/20 rule teaches?

A) A small number of people can make a big difference in the outcome of events.
B) A large number of people can make a small difference in the outcome of events.
C) A small number of people can make a small difference in the outcome of events.
D) Pay attention to the people in your organization that make a difference.

Question 72

Martin wrote a screenplay and wants to pitch it to production companies.The Hollywood Creative Directory lists over 400 companies.Martin wants to find the best targets for his script,but he doesn't have time to research that many companies.What will likely affect his decision-making process?

A) the 80/20 rule
B) bounded rationality
C) recognition of assumptions
D) anchoring bias

Question 73

Many of Efraim's friends are applying to an experimental college in upstate New York.The program sounds interesting,but he heard from someone that the school's sustainability reports were rejected two years running.So that school is off his list.What is impacting Efraim's decision making?

A) analyzed intuition
B) the devil effect
C) rationality
D) the halo effect

Question 74

Jennifer has identified ten things she needs in a vacation spot.She winnows her list down to the four most important issues: price,climate,outdoor activities,and food.What does this short list represent?

A) a list of alternatives
B) a list of decision criteria
C) a weighted list of decision criteria
D) a weighted list of alternatives

Question 75

Which of the following statements about stereotypes is NOT true?

A) They are often negative.
B) They reduce cognitive processing.
C) They are usually obvious.
D) They are resistant to change.

Question 76

Sabrina needs to decide where to travel during her sabbatical.Sabrina is very methodical,so she starts a database with a file for each city she's dreamed of seeing,including Rome,Paris and Ankara.This describes which step of the formal decision-making process?

A) listing alternatives
B) analyzing alternatives
C) listing decision criteria
D) listing weighted decision criteria

Question 77

Chantal is facing one of the most important decisions of her life-finding a wedding planner! When she interviews and evaluates proposals from different planners,Chantal is ________.

A) identifying problems
B) analyzing decision criteria
C) choosing an alternative
D) analyzing alternatives

Question 78

Paola is using a formal decision-making process to buy a new car.She has already identified her problem as: Which car should she buy? Which of the following identifies criteria that Paola might establish for her decision?

A) List all available models of cars currently on the market.
B) List characteristics such as price, reliability, and style.
C) Rank how important characteristics such as price, reliability, and style are to her.
D) Use data to rank such characteristics such as price, reliability, and style.

Question 79

You meet a dog named Kitty.How would a person most likely store this information in the brain?

A) in an existing "ordinary dog name" schema that includes other ordinary dogs that you already know: Rover, Barky, and Fido
B) in an existing "cat name" schema that includes other cats that you know: Goldie, Sneaky, and Snoozy
C) in a completely new "unusual dog name" schema that includes dogs with names that sound like names for cats
D) in a completely new "unusual cat name" schema that includes cats with names that sound like names for dogs

Question 80

Marta is pregnant and has gone through a methodical process to find an OB/GYN.Once she selects a doctor,why does Marta need to carry out the final step in the decision-making process?

A) to see if she successfully solved her problem
B) to see if there are other alternatives
C) to see if she selected the best doctor
D) to avoid having emotions affect her decision