Behavioural Aspects

Abstract

Decision support tools are often criticised from the point of view that people are typically not maximising their utility as normative decision theory expects but rather following rules. We discuss the approaches that describe decision analysis from the behavioural point of view and emphasise that while people without aid do not necessarily maximise their utility, they might make better (i.e. closer to the maximum utility) decisions when aided. Decision support based on the image theory is presented as one possible solution in combining the behavioural and decision aid viewpoints. In addition, the chapter introduces some most prevalent biases and distortions (e.g. framing effect, groupthink) that may appear and ought to be mitigated in participatory and group decision-making settings.