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SAGE Journal User Guide

Steginga, S.K. & Occhipinti, S. (2004). The application of the heuristic-systematic model to treatment decision making about prostate cancer. Medical Decision Making, 24, 573-583.

1. In their article, the authors discuss two modes by which individuals can arrive at a decision: heuristic processing and systematic processing. How do these modes of processing differ?
2. How do the authors define the “expert opinion heuristic?” According to the authors, in what situations are men diagnosed with prostate cancer more likely to rely on the expert opinion heuristic?
3. In the conclusion of their article, the authors point out that their model incorporated elements of the availability heuristic. What are some of the differences between the authors’ expert opinion heuristic and the availability heuristic?
4. People often seek second opinions from medical doctors concerning their conditions. What are some of the factors that prompt people to seek a second opinion? What are some other situations where a second opinion is sought?

Fellows, L.K. (2004). The cognitive neuroscience of human decision making: A review and conceptual framework. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 3, 159-172.

1. Fellows’ review article introduces readers to a task used to study decision making known as the Iowa gambler’s task (IGT). The IGT is designed to examine the relationship between risk, reward, and punishment in human decision making. What is the procedure for the IGT?
2. Contrast the IGT performance of normal individuals without brain damage to those with ventromedial frontal lobe (VMF) damage. According to the article, why do the VMF patients perform differently than the normal participants?
3. Fellows introduces a three-stage model of the components of human decision making. Describe the three components of this model and indicate the brain areas that are most strongly associated with each of these components?
4. Use Fellows’ three-stage model to contrast the differences in decision making for impulsive and non-impulsive individuals.

Carli, L.L. (1999). Cognitive reconstruction, hindsight, and reactions to victims and perpetrators. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 966-979.

1. According to the author, how are memory reconstruction processes and hindsight bias similar?
2. The author discusses how hindsight bias leads observers to derogate victims. What are some of the factors the author mentions for why hindsight bias would lead to victim derogation? What are the implications for the role of hindsight bias in jury decisions?
3. Based on the results of the author’s research linking memory reconstruction and hindsight bias, what steps can be taken to minimize the role of these factors in real-life decisions?