The psychology of decision making and critical evaluation

The aim of the course is to increase understanding of how knowledge, including its validity, can be assessed, how decision-making processes work, and what factors influence decisionmakers. There is no simple formula for making good decisions, but research can point the way toward better decision-making. The course provides fundamental knowledge about the importance of psychological factors in decision-making, such as fake news, science denial, and conspiracy theories. In addition to decisions made individually, the course addresses theories of social decision-making, such as group decisions. The course includes the following: an overview of decision-making theories; cognitive theories on information gathering, attitudes, heuristics, and cognitive biases; the influence of emotional factors on decision-making; and the influence of social psychological factors on decision-making. Students are expected to participate actively in shaping the course content through seminar discussions and other learning activities throughout the course. The course requires selfstudy, continuous reading, and active, reflective participation in group discussions.