Decision making: what it is, phases and parts of the brain involved

What do I want to study? What do I want to do? Am I getting married or not getting married? Do I want to have children? Each and every one of these questions have something in common: Giving an answer implies making decisions regarding some kind of situation or aspect of our lives. In our day to day we have to choose, decide and make decisions constantly.

And although it can be relatively automated in many cases, the truth is that making a decision or determination is a very complex process, since it requires a large amount of effort and threads both at the functional level and at the anatomical-cerebral. In addition, there are many factors that can influence when choosing, and different motivations that can alter the final decision.

Throughout this article let's talk about what decision making is, different factors that can affect it and the main steps involved in making a choice.

• Related article: "The 8 types of decisions"

Decision making: a fundamental element in our life

While all of us constantly make choices and determine the course of action to take through our own decision-making decisions, the truth is that it is not so common to stop and think about what supposes that we have this capacity, where it comes from or even what We are talking.

We give the name of decision-making to set of processes through which a subject makes the determination to select one of the multiple options possible from among those that are presented, based on a large number of factors that surround the personal situation of the subject and the situation or element with respect to which to choose.

In other words, it is the set of mental activities that we carry out to emit a response in a context in which we have to choose between several alternatives.

Is about one of the so-called executive functions, which are conceptualized as the set of cognitive abilities and skills through which we can be able to solve situations that we are not used to, they are new to us and for which we do not have a strategy or plan of action previously settled down.

These allow us to adapt to the environment and survive by making us capable of working with the set of information and stimulations. internal and external that are available, in such a way that we can regulate our activity to carry out our purposes.

Generally this process is carried out in order to solve some kind of problem. This is a process that can be both conscious (especially if the problem in question is relevant to us) as semi-conscious in cases where the decision to be made is automated.

It is important to bear in mind that like the rest of executive functions, decision-making is not a process that is separated from others mental processes in a stagnant way, but depends on the existence of other mental processes that allow us to capture, synthesize and work with the information.

Among many other related functions, choosing means keeping the available options in memory, be able to pay attention to each of them and calculate possible outcomes of the different choices based on previous experiences and knowledge. It also implies the ability to perceive environmental stimuli and one's own sensations, thoughts and beliefs, as well as the will and motivation to plan and carry out an action.

Areas of the brain involved

The decision-making process, like the rest of executive functions, depends mainly on our frontal lobe and its connections with the rest of the brain.

It is in this part of the neocortex, especially in its ventromedial part, where operations are processed and performed. necessary to make choices, make predictions, and assess the costs or benefits of making one or the other option.

However, the decision-making process also depends at the brain level on structures such as the insula, the amygdala and basal ganglia, as well as the dorsolateral prefrontal.

Influencing factors

When making decisions, as we have commented previously, a large number of factors of various kinds are involved. Among these factors, the motivation of the subject to solve the problem or make a choice stands out. that has as its end a desirable result, that is, the fact that making a decision or not doing so is relevant to us or generates some kind of pleasant or unpleasant consequence.

Self-esteem, the feeling of self-efficacy and the locus of control are also key aspects when making decisions: we will make decisions more easily if we believe that our actions will have an impact or influence the outcome of the situation, and can be carried out with more security if we believe we are capable of making decisions and carrying out the actions derived from said take.

Another aspect to assess is the expectations we have regarding reality or the possible consequences of our choices. Besides this, the calculation of benefits and costs of each choice can alter the type of determination we make. Likewise, we must also assess the effect of not choosing the rest of the alternatives: choosing one implies that the rest, and their possible repercussions, will not occur.

In addition, at a cognitive level, the existence of possible biases must be taken into account, such as the tendency to interpret reality based on what the subject believes in advance without considering other copines, the belief that other more expert people will always be right, the tendency to modify decisions based on what is expressed by the group or the presence of discrepancies between what is believed to be best and what is finished doing. All of this can alter decision-making.

Emotions can also play an important role. In this sense, we must also take into account the assessment made of the different possible results of our actions. And not only the emotions that elicit the possible options have to be valued, but the emotional state of the subject at the time of make the decision: a sad or depressed person will make choices differently than he would when he was happy and happy.

Another emotion that can generate problems is fear: it can generate a response more hasty or even the impossibility or difficulty of making decisions, and can also affect stress or anxiety.

Some psychopathologies and even some medical illnesses or injuries They can also alter the capacity for reasoning and decision-making, generally making it difficult (be it because there is slowing down or acceleration of the process, or because there are problems when generating alternatives).

At a more environmental level, it should be noted that there may be a great influence from the environment. The learnings that we have made throughout life, the beliefs and idiosyncrasies of our culture, the parental models that we have had or the type of social network in which we move can facilitate, difficulty or moderate decision-making towards a type of action concrete.

Decision-making phases

Making a decision is not something immediate, but involves a set of steps or mental actions prior to the final choice.

First of all, to make a decision we have to be clear about what situation leads us to have to make it. That is, it is necessary first that a situation or event occurs and is recognized as such that leads us to consider different options when taking an action. In other words, you have to perceive the problem.

Once in this situation or in anticipation of it, the next step is to define it and determine which aspects are relevant in order to generate alternatives that can respond to the situation, as well as identify to what degree they do so.

After that, and based on these criteria, we will proceed as far as possible to develop the maximum number of possible solutions or possible alternatives for action. At this time only alternatives are generated, although generally we are also discarding those more strange and unfeasible while we are doing it.

Of all these options, our mind leads us to assess the ones that seem most appropriate and viable, trying to make a prediction of its usefulness and functionality and what would be the possible outcomes of the different options. Risks and benefits are calculated.

After that, we proceed to choose one, which will later be evaluated in more depth before it is carried out. Subsequently, the decision itself is made, something that can lead to its implementation in the reality (and a subsequent evaluation of the results and the comparison between what was achieved and what was expected).

Bibliographic references:

• Naqvi, N.; Shiv, B.; Bechara, A. (2006). The role of emotion in decision making: a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 15 (5): 260–264.
• Verdejo-García, A. and Bechara, A. (2010). Neuropsychology of executive functions. Psicothema, 22 (2): 227-235.