Introduction

We all make countless decisions in our everyday and professional lives. We are well aware of the importance of making good decisions. However, do we truly understand the complexity behind the decision-making process? It is important for us to know what factors negatively and positively affect our decisions. I believe the decision-making process isn’t discussed as much as it should be which can lead people, including students, to frequently make poor decisions.

As a college student, I chose to research this topic because I am aware of the important decisions that I will have to make in the near future. Students, including myself, often struggle when making decisions that have the power of shaping our careers. Using the sources that I gathered for my semester-long research, we will take a look at a few factors that influence our decision-making and ways to make the decision-making process less stressful.

Outside help

Most decisions cause a substantial amount of stress for many people, especially students. Many have the idea that decisions must be made independently, without the help of anyone. While this is true to an extent, I believe that consulting with trusted peers is a simple yet effective way to ease the stress when making a tough decision. The opportunity of having trusted peers to consult with allows you the opportunity to understand different perspectives.

You would never notice if you are limiting yourself to a few perspectives unless you ask peers to give you theirs. As Adames, Chaves-Dueñas, Vasquez, & Pope (2023) state, “two heads are better than one”. This phrase displays the importance of the outside help of your peers. Being able to utilize the wisdom that a small crowd can provide is important for relieving the stress of a challenging decision.

How do emotions influence our decisions? Is mental health a factor behind the process?

Emotions are a concept that plays a significant role in the decisions we make. In a survey I conducted at Baruch, I asked my participants if they believe that emotions play a part in their decision-making. Most participants answered yes but, however, there were a select few that say they try not to let their emotions control their decisions. Although this may be true to them, emotions can still find a way to influence our decisions.

Feeling a certain emotion like anger, for example, can cause you to make a decision on an impulse rather than thoroughly thinking it through. The same goes for happiness, the decision may not be made on an impulse but the feeling of happiness could allow you to calm down and think thoroughly. Making a poor choice can also cause feelings such as regret. Regret is an emotion that causes you to feel disappointed. A concept introduced by McCormack, Feeney, & Beck (2020) called anticipating regret allows for a person to make a better decision based on the feeling of regret. The fear of making another decision that you will regret can cause you to anticipate it and influence you to make a better decision.

Additionally, we are constantly making decisions throughout our day. Although some of our decisions may not have any significant consequences to our future, continuously thinking about and making decisions can lead to poor decisions. This is a concept of our mental health. Colino (2021) presents the idea of decision fatigue which restricts you from making anymore decisions and depletes our self control. Sooner or later, we will get tired of continuously making decisions which could interfere with the outcome of our decisions. Being capable of pacing yourself is a good way to minimize the effects of decision fatigue, as well as getting enough sleep and having someone or a group whom you trust to make sure your head is in the right place.

What are cognitive abilities? How do they influence our decisions?

Cognitive abilities are the skills that our minds possess to think, process information, and aid our thought process as a whole. For example, the ability to remember things in detail comes from the skill of memory retention.

So how do cognitive abilities affect our decision-making process?

While making decisions, we are required to choose between a variety of different options. In a professional setting, decisions oftentimes have to be made under pressure and during a limited amount of time. High processing speed seems to be one of the most influential and important skills to have when making a decision. The ability to continuously process new situations and retain that information is crucial (Gonzalez, 2004).

Conclusion

Decisions are influenced by many factors that cause decision-making to become either stressful or simple. As college students, crucial and stressful decisions are only waiting to be made. The thought of learning about the decision-making process doesn’t cross the minds of the majority of us, but I argue that it should.