Read this text about Decision Making Heuristics (http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/180/3/decision-making-factors-that-influence-decision-making-heuristics-used-and-decision-outcomes#) and answer the following questions:
QUESTION 1
What are heuristics? Choose three named in the text and give an example of a decision that you have taken using each of these techniques.
QUESTION 2
According to the text what makes people regret the decisions they have taken. Consider an important decision you have taken in your life. Explain HOW you took this decision - what process you followed. Looking back what makes you feel good/bad about this decision?
1. Heurstics is a word to used to describe a process where the decision is made based on the rule of thumb where the individual is looking for the optimal solution. In our daily life, we often use heuristic to come to some basic decisions. Since heuristics are a simple process, they don’t put a significant amount of pressure on the decision maker and they allow the decision to be made with a certain ease. Even though heuristics are not necessarily used to produce the right answer, they can be used as a reason to blame when things go wrong. As the text mentioned there are three common types of heuristics which are; representative, availability and anchoring-and-adjustment. The first type comes from our habit to stereotype things and group them. We tend to group people in certain positions according to a person which we know in that position. For example I knew an investment banker that wears suits all the time, smokes cigars and likes to drink scotch then all similar individuals I meet in the future would receive the same connotation. We fail to take into account other factors in favor of generalizing. The second category is availability which means that we relate to certain choices much more when we read about topics that involve them or are given some kind of information about them. The lack of information about the other sides makes us forget about it and include it in our decision making process. The final type is anchoring-and-adjustment. Anchoring-and-adjustment simply means that we use our previous knowledge to make a decision. For example if we know that parachuting accidents occur mainly due to lack of maintenance, we would make sure that our parachute was properly maintained before jumping.
ReplyDeleteAn example of the representative type would be when I choose to purchase an ipod because I knew from previous experiences that Apple made good products. The second type of decision I made was during the summer when I decided to go to Croatia. Even though I like spending my holidays there, I wanted to go somewhere different and experience something new. But since everyone was talking about this island there and how it offers an unforgettable experience, I decided to seal the deal and go there. On the end it was the influence of the people that made my decision. The third type of decision I made when I decided to buy a new laptop. I decided to buy an Asus because in my mind I knew that they are one of the leading companies for innovation in computer technology and that they produce most of the parts for other manufacturers. This information which I previously possessed led me to make my decision in favor of the Asus.
2. According to the text, we feel regret in couple of different situations. The first situation is when we receive additional information on the options that we previously didn’t posses. That information makes us analyze the choice we made even further and consider the satisfaction that other choices could have brought us. We feel this regret because there is a sense that we didn’t way the pros and cons of each choice properly and that the new information altered the previous results. An important choice that I made recently was where to continue my studies. I had created a choice of few universities to give myself a few options before ultimately making a decision. The process that I went through to make the final decision was not really that complex since I didn’t know any techniques. The top variables for deciding were location and the size of classes. I knew I didn’t want to receive an education where there are 300 people in the auditorium and the students are unable to get any answers from the professor, since I am a very curious guy. Those variables ultimately led EU to be my choice because on the end my other options were too far away for and ultimately led me to think that it is going to be hard to adapt. Looking back at the decision, I felt regret on the beginning since I didn’t know that EU was a unaccredited institution, but that got solved during my studies so my satisfaction with the decision improved. The other thing that I wanted is to go to the U.S. Often I have wondered would I have been better off receiving an education there because I wanted to experience a new culture. I solved this by speeding up the course of my studies and finishing this year so I can attend a masters program in fall in the U.S. Ultimately I see that I made a good decision by going to EU even though I felt skeptical for a certain period. Looking back now, I think I would make the same decision if I was given a choice.
ReplyDeleteZlatina Stamenova
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1.
The term “heuristic” is used to describe rapidly cognitive decisions which our mind takes while making decisions and solving problems. All of these decisions are experience-based, which saving time and help in learning, discovering and problem solving process. This technique, named also “rules of thumb” allows people to make quickly decisions, without think about the next step of action. People evaluated their actions and experiences and make efficient and quick decision. There are three primary types of heuristic: the representative, the availability and the anchoring and adjustment heuristic.
The representative heuristic decisions are based on known data, on likeliness. It is basically decision made compared with experiences and meaning of these experiences. The types of representative heuristics are Gambler's fallacy, base rate fallacy, regression to the mean, and conjunction fallacy. My personal example is when I am doing my shopping all of my decisions are based on this technique. When I am buying my cosmetic and if I wonder which one of two products to choose, I make my decision based on my experience of the product. If I used both shampoos before, but the one of them make my hair looks better, based on my experienced I buy this one. So if I liked this product I am repurchased it again, based on mine previous experience with it before.
The availability heuristic based on what we can remember, on recent experience, news or report, they have a significant impact on decisions. The last availability heuristic decision which I made was yesterday. I have to choose between two airline companies for my flight to Bulgaria. Both of them offered the same price tickets and the same day, the only difference was one hour between the flights. So I choose the first company, based on that, some weeks ago, one friend of mine told me that the staff was impolite and she had many problems with the baggage. Also in some forums, I saw that many people are complained especially for these issues. So based on these facts, which are results of my previous experience, for a couple of minutes I booked my flight.
Another decision which very often I make based on this type is about going out and what to dress. After, I saw on weather.com what will be the weather during the next whole week; I take decision how to dress according to the weather. Also, because I know that the weather will be warm and around 35 degrees during the weekend I decided to go to Sidges. This decision is made based on recent news.
The last type anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic is decision based on previous knowledge or intuition for a reference point. This information can be extending during the process in order to find a solution. The first personal example which stirs up to my memory when I read about this type of technique is when I was in my grandparent`s house during the Christmas holiday. My grandfather asked me how much the population of the Barcelona is, is it true that now is around 5 000 000. So I didn’t know the exact number, but when he said 5 000 000 I answered that for sure it is over 4000 000. I was pretty close to the right answer, because I have been anchored from his suggestion.
Zlatina Stamenova
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2 ( part 2)
When I am thinking what was important decision which I had taken in my life, it was my decision to study and live in Barcelona. When I think of all steps which I followed during decision making process I realized that I followed plan-planning model. I was focus on my goals, not only the fact that I will be happy and exciting to live in Barcelona as a city or how sad I can be feel, far away of my family. So in the beginning, I set my objectives, my goals, what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to study in university, which offers international environment and business courses. I wanted to extend my surroundings and make many new friends. I wanted to change and make different my life, to see different aspects and to change myself in order to feel better and happier. My goals and plans were based on my ability to meet these goals. So in order to decide if Barcelona and university will be the best options for me, I evaluated all aspects of my decisions. I remembered I made a list of all negative and positive sides of my alternatives. So I have two options – stay and study in Bulgaria or come and live and study in Barcelona. I listed all pros and cons, and also what will be my satisfaction if I stay in Bulgaria or come to Barcelona. It was important for me, to think how I will feel after I make my decision. I realized in Bulgaria I have an opportunity to study also business courses, be closer to my family, and be with my friends who I have during whole my life. But also I realized that this option does not give me an opportunity to get well known with people from different countries, with different cultures, to study in different language, to receive better feedback and experience a lot of things, and I felt these things can change my life in a way I will feel more satisfied and pleased. Also an option to study in Barcelona, give me all of these things, but emotionally, in the beginning I will feel sad. I decided to take a risk and overcome my fear of the new environment, I knew my friends and my family always are, but the only thing which will change is the positive side of my life. I will be more satisfied with the outcomes of this decision. When I gone through whole process, I always thought about how this decision will reflect on my life in the future. I feel that all responsibility is on my own and I have to be concentrated not on my emotions but on my future goals and what I want to have and achieve in my life. I knew that Barcelona is the better choice, but I evaluated all aspects of both options, and after period of time made my decisions. Obviously, at this time I was not have enough experience but I decided to put away my negative emotions that I left my family, friends and am focus on my future goals. Despite the fact in the beginning there was a period of wondering if I took the right options, when I look back in the whole process I feel sad because I rely only on myself and I know it was my choice, so I felt fear if in the future I would feel dissatisfaction or realized that I made the wrong choice. But at the same time I felt better because I knew how important and responsible it is and that`s why I spend a lot of time, searching for different information, analysis and evaluating all points by importance for me in order, in the end to feel satisfied of my own decision. From now on, after I experienced whole decision making process and after quite enough time, I am satisfied with my decision and feel more than happy of my decision. I am very proud, because at the age of 18, I made my choice, based on my goals, not on my emotions and made the grade, and even more positively reflect on my life than I expected.
When I take a look on all decisions I made, I realized that when I was not planned and evaluated my alternatives and listen to my intuition at the same time, when I just quickly choose decide something without any evaluation or analysis of pros and cons, just rely on my emotions at this time, that was the time I get into trouble.
Zlatina Stamenova
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2.
Decision making process is basically defined as the mental process which includes selections of different actions and alternatives, and finally end up with conclusion and decision. It is influenced by factors such as past experience, age, commitment and individual differences and believes. The process involves analysis and identification of different alternatives in term of evaluation criteria, and reach solution. There are steps which are essential and important in order to make a decision. People should identify objectives and classified them in order of importance, alternative actions should be developed and then evaluated and end up with final choice. There are several outcomes after which appear after the decision was made – satisfaction or regret.
In the text, Sagi and Friedland theorized why people feel dissatisfied after their decisions were made. In general, people regret the decision they have taken, because they not used available possibilities during the whole process. Basically, people feel regret because they feel that they could be take better decision and be more satisfied. One of the basic omissions is lack of all necessary information. It is a key to each communication problem and decision, the more information you have more chance to take better decision. Understanding of how important to receive more information and evaluated more alternatives, pros and cons in order to reach better choice is not only regret people feel. They often rethink and see other better possible options and their satisfaction of them. The satisfaction aspect of the decision is one of the main points of whole decision-making process. People feel responsible and prefer to make their own decisions with the believing they would be more pleased with their own choices, but at the end if the result is not good, they feel dissatisfied and responsible for making bad choices. To sum up, people feel regret because they are not enough satisfied with the outcome and also realized that there are many other possible options, which can be better if they were analyzed and evaluated correctly during the process. The most important strategy in decision-making process is the evaluation of pros and cons of all alternatives available. The decisions which are more desirable and people quickly decide may not lead to positive and satisfactory result. People make their decision based on their past experience. People are willing to “pay a premium” for changing their opinions later. This often leads to dissatisfaction. The text shows an example of catalogue shoppers who purchase in two steps, firstly decide to purchase and then if they will keep them. People prefer to have options to change their decisions, but more situations and decisions do not allow them to change their minds and they are not satisfied with their choices. The most appropriate model to make a decision is goal/planning model. If a person set objectives, then evaluated them by importance, look for alternatives, evaluate negative and positive aspects a person effectively will make a decision.
.....to be contunie
Tonka Zlatinova
ReplyDelete1. Heuristics are techniques based on experience that are useful in decision making in order to find a solution that best fits as an optimal one. The techniques can also be defined as “rules of thumb” for a decision made through a cognitive process, an intuition, or even common knowledge. They can be used in order to make the decision making process faster which produces a number of bias outcomes, regardless whether they are positive or negative. Several types of heuristic techniques can be distinguished; however the three most important heuristic techniques that are mostly applicable in everyday life are representative, availability and anchoring-and-adjustment methods. The representative type of heuristics is based on well-known data. It measures the probability that a certain hypothesis will turn our right compared with statistical data and associable experience. This technique classifies the experiences in order to produce a certain meaning for them in order to create associable conclusions for a certain decision based on similarities. The types of representative heuristics are Gambler's fallacy, base rate fallacy, regression to the mean, and conjunction fallacy. From my experience, I can say that my grocery shopping is done through a representative heuristic technique. When I have tried a product of a certain type, be it crisps, chocolate or even a brand of detergent, it is always based on the previous experience I had with the particular brand. If I had liked the product when I had purchased it before, then I would most probably, if not for certain, repurchase it again. This has started to occur ever since I have been living alone in Barcelona and I had no particular knowledge of the local product as well as no one to advise me on them. So, my repurchases were based on which of the famous brands that I liked on the assumption that they would taste the same every time.
Availability heuristics can be defined as decisions made not on the basis of particular data, but rather on what we can recall. The recent events and our ability to remember them more vividly are what trigger one decision or another. They can be recent conversations, news, experiences that have caused us to behave in a certain way depending on how we are exposed to this information and how we associate ourselves with it. Personal experience is more available to people and cause them to take decisions reflecting that. I can recall the swine flu epidemic in Spain that occurred last year. What was reflected in the news and was mentioned in every conversation that I had forced me to limit my contacts with people in crowded areas and took my temperature on a daily basis for that time being.
Anchoring-and-adjustment heuristics asses the intuitive method to take decisions based on a previously mentioned reference point (“anchor”). This data is then altered to a small extend in order to produce an estimated solution that is close to the original anchor and complementary information. Personally, when travelling, I was once engaged in a price negotiation where the first mentioned price was the reference point of all proposed prices mentioned after that and they were all number close to that anchor. In the end, I knew that the real price was somewhere near the anchor subconsciously based on my belief that it was close to it, but the other person was keeping also it close just because of the firstly proposed number. That made me bargain for a price near to the initial one.
Tonka Zlatinova (part 2)
ReplyDelete2. Based on the information in the text, people regret the decision they have taken because of several factors. One of them is when people have been exposed to too many possible and varied decisions and it had been difficult to choose one. Another factor that may produce regret is if they have taken a certain decision and, afterwards, they consider their decision would have been better if they had known more about the specific issue that was neglected beforehand. The probability of other possible decision that may have been better is another reason that produces regret as well as an imposed decision from someone else and past decisions that have been unsuccessful.
Probably the most important and the most difficult decision I had to take was the one whether I should succeed my father in his business of or not. Ever since I was a child, I was dreaming of becoming a veterinarian and I was always saying that I would never want to work in the business of automobile refinishing materials. However, this all changed. When I first started studying biology and chemistry, I realized these were not subjects that were of ease for me, so I gave up on my ambition to become a veterinarian. After that, I decided to become a lawyer when soon after I realized with a conversation with a friend of my parents that it is hard to be successful lawyer when you do not have proper connections in the beginning. The following summer, I had started working for my father as an interpreter when I discovered that what the business was all about and I found an interest of it. All of a sudden, I had found myself reading more and more about the products and what you can do with them deriving from the letters and conversations I had to interpret. DuPont Refinish is a brand that is associated with quality and outstanding performance that many people prefer for its strong reputation on the market. Thus, my decision was starting to form towards giving my father’s business a chance.
When I spent more time in the business, I realized my father’s devotion to it and how unfulfilled I would feel if the one thing he had been working so hard on, was going to be in vain. After all, I was going to receive something developed and profitable on a “silver plate”. My intentions were getting stronger and stronger when I had been exposed to a specific broadcast on television that was stating: “There would always be cars and there would always be accidents”. How is it not a car refinishing business a sustainable one?
I was convinced that, if I was going to work in the business field, then this would be the optimal decision. This summer working for my father gave an insight of how a business operates and I really formed my decision towards studying it more in dept.
Looking back on my decision, I do not regret it. I am studying something that is very interesting to me. I enjoy it and I feel it right for myself. The decision has been all mine and I have all the possible inside information that can assure me that this is the best decision for me. I do not think that there is any probability of a better choice for me since it is really something that makes me develop not because I need to, but because I want to. Furthermore, if I weigh out the pros and cons of my decision, I find more benefit than I can see loses, which makes me feel very confident about it. I have set myself a goal and I am on my first steps in achieving it. One is gaining my education and the other is staying close to the business to keep track of it (I am still interpreting for my father). All of this gives me confidence about my decision that it is the right one.
1.The term heuristic as an adjective is defined as “involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods”.( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heuristic)
ReplyDeleteIn other words, heuristics are the different shortcuts our mind takes in order to reach a decision, skipping the analysis process and basing the assumptions on previous experiences and knowledge. Heuristics is also known as the "rules of thumb" which we use in order to make decisions. Heuristics help us be more time efficient when solving a problem because it allows us to work on “autopilot” for part of the process, without requiring any time for thought. The point behind heuristics is that they can be helpful when the example fits the general characteristics we are familiar with, but the problem with it is that it does not work for exceptions to the general rule.
There are different types of heuristics according on what they are based on, three that are most commonly used in everyday life: representative, availability and anchoring-and-adjustment.
Representative heuristics use judgment of similarity to stereotypes. In everyday life people do this all the time by choosing brands without even considering other ones that might be better, or thinking that they would not get the same level of satisfaction from the brand they choose. A decision I took based on representative heuristic is not to fly with low cost airlines anymore because of personal negative experience as well as general negative association with the low cost airlines image. The first and only time I decided to purchase a low cost ticket was with easyjet to fly to London. My flight was delayed by one day, during which they could not offer any alternative flights, so the only possibility was to buy another ticket or wait for easyjet plane to be fixed. Since then despite the fact that many low cost airlines might offer great service, I do not see them as an option when purchasing a ticket.
Availability heuristics is based on judging the frequency of occurrence of a certain event. For example a decision in my life based on availability of information was choosing taxis as the fastest mean of transportation in comparison to public transport. When I came to Barcelona at first I would always choose taxis to travel with when I needed to get somewhere fast, due to the availability of information. However, after certain time I realized that in Barcelona, the metro sometimes is a better choice, due to factors like the level of traffic in the city. My initial decision to take taxis was based on statistics and information, which was not necessary applicable to the new environment.
The anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic is used to estimate value or size of quantity by starting from initial value and adjusting to final estimate. In other words, we have a relative base given to us or decided by ourselves around which we adjust the decision we take. For example I decide is someone is a good student based on the set that C is an average grade (anchor set by university). I know that if they have a C they are average, B –very good and A –excellent. While this might have nothing to do with their general level of knowledge, the set base is the one I adjust around to make a decision without putting thought around it.
2.There are many factors that make people regret decisions they have made in the past. The level of regret, according to the text, depends on the availability of options we had presented to us as well as other factors. People generally experience higher level of regret if the choices they are presented with are all undesirable ones, compared to high availability to desirable options. One of the main identified reason which makes people feel regret is the dissatisfaction with their decision compared to other choices they had after further analysis. Furthermore, seeing again or exploring the options we had in the past makes people often feel even more remorse because they evaluate both the options and the quality of their previous decision. According to Kim et al., there more positive aspects in individual points own in a decision they have made the higher level of satisfaction. This means that the more negative aspects a person lists about their decision the higher the level of regret would be. Another factor which determines the level of regret is if the decision is made by ourselves or if it is imposed on us.
ReplyDeleteOne of the important decisions I have taken is when I was 17 years old and I decided to leave Bulgaria and to go to a boarding school in Salzburg, Austria. I had few factors I considered while taking this decision. First, I knew I wanted to go finish my studies outside Bulgaria, so I knew what I had to do. First I researched different boarding schools in Europe: England, Switzerland and Austria. I had to do this before even bringing the topic to my parents, because I knew they would ask me if I had something im mind already. The decision to go was mine, but it had to be supported by them. I had to decide on the criteria by which to evaluate and rank the appeal of the different schools to me. I first looked as different international schools and identified the ones which offered boarding facilities. This was the preliminary screening. After that I looked at distance of the countries in which the schools were situated from Bulgaria. England was too far so all the schools situated there did not fit within my requirements. The next factor I considered was the benefits the school would give me for its cost (including both living expenses and school fee). Switzerland schools offered similar classed to the ones in Austria, but at a much higher cost, so I chose The American International School of Salzburg, Austria as my first choice. My decision was made by systematic process of elimination of options based on different criteria.
Looking back on this decision I can say that I feel very satisfied with it. I don’t know if the process was the right one, but the outcome of this decision turned out to be great. I spent two of my best years in Salzburg, where I received great level of education, met many interesting people, some of which became by good friends; and last but not least I don’t know if I would have ended up in Barcelona if I had chosen any other school, because the my path could have taken on a completely different direction if I went to school in Switzerland or England. I have no regrets for my decision now, which was not the case shortly after I took it. When I had to leave Bulgaria the first year and when I first arrived there I thought I had taken the wrong decision and I wanted to go back. I needed some time to evaluate and appreciate the complete picture and extend of my decision.
Neli Zlatanova
Heuristic
ReplyDelete- Definition- To enable a person to discover or learn something from themselves.
- They reduce mental effort in decision making , but they may lead to biases or errors in judgment.
Examples
1) Anchoring and Adjustment -People start from a reference point or approximation (the anchor) , then makes ad judgments, based in additional information. In supermarkets the way price are put is very important to make the consumer think they are buying it cheaper for what really is. An example is an item that is being sold for €50 and in another similar store is placed for €49.99. What are people going to buy? The second item, even though they are the same prim exempt for a minimal difference of one cent people are still going to think is much cheaper because is below the €50 barrier.
2) Availability - People predict the frequency of an event, based on how easily an example can be brought to mind.
-Example-There is people that think that motorcycles are not safe and people that think they are safe. I am one of the people that think are not only dangerous but very dangerous. First because I was brought up with the idea that bikes are coffins with wheels. I personally know a lot of people that have been injured in bike accident . I also don’t' trust other driver and the fact the there is no protection makes me want to ride less. I also know that about only 14% of the people involve in accidents are not injured. So I will rather walk or use other transportation even though it takes more time, than driving on a bike.
3) Representative- People judge the probability or frequency of a hypothesis by considering how much the hypothesis resembles available data as opposed to using a Bayesian calculation. Ex. "Antonio has the presence of a Politian, the humbleness of a peasant and the gift of people". What is he? A leader"
People regret their decision for several reasons. They think they could have made a better choice, they assume responsibility of the bad decision taken, they don't felll satisfied in their life because of the choice taken, the did not reach or meet their goal.
ReplyDeleteThere was only one thing, I got feed up of the city and the superficial environment most of the people in Miami are engaged to a society that is not real, so everybody fakes. The geography compare to Europe it has nothing to do with Miami. In Barcelona I have the beach in the summer and the mountains in the winter plus all Europe is very close, one hour and a half to Rome and Paris. In Miami the beach is beautiful but there is nothing else besides clubs and restaurants, there is no culture, no history. I started to think positively about Miami, looking only at its positive aspects and not paying attention to the negatives. First I apply to UM, being the only University I wanted to apply and was going to apply. I wrote a letter explaining my situation, I send the application with its question answers explaining I did not graduated yet because I dropped out from law school after 4 years and I decided only to work, I had the number of years required of working. My decision was made I was going to life in Miami and most probably even If I did not get accepted I was only going to that University, it was my only choice. Later I got a email from UM asking me to personally go and interview myself. I organized the trip having my family meet showing the my future University and some apartments I had already booked. I went there, did a very good interview where they where going to consider the years I worked. I told them I had studied there before and how much I liked the University, the classes, the teachers and how much I learned, they seemed happy, I was sure I was going in. I come back to Barcelona I needed my diploma so I go to uni and I find out I still needed to complete 12 subjects, it was a lot. The only way was taking them privately even though is very expensive. I told administration and the process was on work. This was situation that was not expected, I had to react quick because I barely had time to make the decision but I made it. A couple of days later I received the most unexpected mail, a mail from the person that interviewed me in UM saying the my University was not accredited so they dropped my file, telling me they where sorry. This really tear me apart, it was a very big hit for me. All the illusion, changing my mind , accepting to leave Barcelona, a city where I had live almost 4 years where I had never been happier in my life. I never lost hope, even I still have it. Told the Uni my problem and they sais they said the uni was accredited and that they were sending a letter. Of course I could not tell this to my family, that I was not accepted because my uni was not accredited! After spending a significant amount of time and money. So I waited with hope, and I waited and IM still waiting. Um answer me telling me the letter was sent to International Affairs. I had to tell a member of my family, I told my mom, she came to personally talked to the Uni. They said the same, that it was accredited but what matters at the end is what the UM says or not?? I think another letter was send a couple of months ago and I’m still waiting for an answer. SO now I am in Barcelona having to finish and pay an university where I was going to finish and I was not get in the uni I wanted being my uni one of the most expensive in the country. This fact did not motivate me at all but I could not waist time being sad, so I started to look at Universities here in Barcelona. I chose only EADA so I apply but only as a second option. I got successfully accepted , I am finishing my BBA so now I am just waiting for the green light to go to Miami but if I do not I will be equally satisfied with my decision. This makes me feel good because is a win-win situation I focus more in the positive aspects and less in the negative, so I always win.
ReplyDeleteExample of personal decision
ReplyDeleteAfter presenting my thesis and final cases. I did not know what was going to be the next step of my life, so I spend a couple of months focusing in personal achievements and looking for opportunities. It came on January where my family offered me the opportunity to study in any University I wanted in the United States. To be honest at the beginning I did not like the idea because I am very happy in Barcelona. I thought about it a lot because it was a great opportunity that I had to take it or not, plus my family would be disappointed if I rejected the offer. I thought about it but the most important think was to choose the city and the University I wanted to live in and attend in other to make my decision. I really did not have any choice because the satisfaction and pride my family has towards my is one of the most important things in my life. I really do not like the States, I have live there many years in different places and I have my personal reasons. Since that moment I was establishing pros and cons about the countries looking at Europe as a big country like the US. The only city in the States that I knew and felt comfortable was Miami, this is because in 2003 I attended for one year to The University of Miami also known as UM and because the people that control the city are Cubans and Latin American were we all Latin share the culture among other things and is easier to establish a relationship. In most other cities they look at Latin-American, specially Mexicans lower than themselves, when I go to the airport they interrogate me as if I was going to visit the Pope and taking me pictures and registering my digitals like if I was a convict. Where is the diplomatic reciprocity? most of the countries don’t apply it, thank God I don’t need this insults. Miami is different it is not the US. Personally I love that University, the campus and the live and the environment in the campus is unbelievable, I met a lot of interesting people and I had the time of my life.
rita benmakhlouf
ReplyDeletequestion 2
2) According to the text, people regret their decisions because they know they had other choices that could give them a better outcome. People while making a decision get confused and hesitate to make the right choice, it is normal because the nature of human beings is defined as hesitative personalities. It is like when playing the roulette, you hesitate if your going to choose black or red, but you don’t know where the ball is going to land, so you have to make a call either black or red, if it lands on the red and you have chosen black, you regret your decision because you know you could have chosen the red and won double, but it is irreversible anyways and you cant take a step back, you had made your choice by than and should accept the outcome. An important decision I have made in my life was to break up with the love of my life. I was dating this guy for 7 years, I loved him so much, and he also loved me so much. I was the leader of our couple because I believe I was more responsible and mature. As time got by, and years have past, he started changing towards me; he didn’t treat me with much affection as before, I felt that there was something more important in his life than me. We were fighting every week by the end of the fifth year, and he would always find a ruse to hurt my feelings. When I thought about our situation, I found out that I was being hurt more than I was being loved, and that I could no longer bear being with someone who wounds my heart with no regret. I thought about my decision for a long time, because it was a 7 years relationship, but at the end after analysis the situation step by step I found out that it was the end of a love full of sorrow and pain. I was actually feeling good because this made me stronger, and better; giving me time to over think my feelings and living a better life. What makes me feel bad is the regret I have for the 7 years I have wasted in my life where I could have been with someone who deserves being with someone like me. I also feel bad because I still love him, but suffering only makes me stronger and I am better off like this.
rita benmakhlouf
ReplyDeletequestion 1
1) Heuristics are strategies that are generally used to help control in a problem solving, learning and discovery. It is an important strategy making that considers the positive as well as the negative facets of choices. There are several kinds of heuristics, but the three major that are often used are representative, availability, and anchoring-and-adjustment. In the text three major steps into taking a decision are stated as followed; cost benefit analysis, written remediation plans, and an examination of possible choices. When I was deciding to where I was to leave for my studies, I was hesitative and very scared, I didn’t know what to choose and what kind of destination would be part of my new life. I had many possibilities though; I actually had the choice between Paris, Rome, London, U.S, and Barcelona. Since they were all my dream cities, and the universities were all promoting and good, I had to make a final decision because of course I can’t attend all of these places at the same time. I started by examining the possible choices I had, and deciding which of theses beautiful cities would suit my personality best. Then I continued by analyzing the cost benefits, I found out that Barcelona would suit me best since I would be near home, could go back often to my country and see my family and friends, the university was the one of the top business universities of Europe. I finally started planning my life in Barcelona. When I first arrived here I was not really excited about it anymore, I actually had a taste of regret within my sorrows, but as soon as I made friends and got over my depression I felt better and happy to have chosen this fabulous city.