Understanding how people decide: Decision-making theories as mental representations

Abstract

This paper argues that instead of seeing the most influential theories in decision making as competitive, one may contemplate the possibility that they are part of a wider theory of decision-making. This theory looks at how people decide based on how they structure a mental representation of a complex reality. Further, it gives a brief presentation of the mainstream theories in decision-making: expected utility theory, prospect theory, bounded rationality, parallel games, Rawls' theory of justice and multi-criteria decision-making. The conclusions suggest that research in the field should include the current theories of decision-making as possible mental representations, while also acknowledging some important epistemological problems in this field.