Rational Choice in an Uncertain World

First Edition, Winner of the prestigious William James Award from the American Psychological Association

An understanding of the principles of rational decision making can help students improve the quality of their lives. Intended as an introductory textbook, the material in Rational Choice in an Uncertain World is not only of scholarly interest, but practical as well. Created specifically for courses on judgement and decision-making, this book makes research readily accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students. This Second Edition of the award-winning book, Rational Choice in an Uncertain World (1988) by Robyn M. Dawes, is sure to interest and enlighten students at all levels.

This new edition features:

* New student friendly chapter introductions as well as conclusions and cross-references between chapters.

* Award-winning authors are respected professors with over 30 years of experience in the field.

* Practical, everyday examples from such areas as finance, medicine, law, and engineering.

* Comprehensive and up-to-date information keep this edition abreast of the changing ideas within the discipline

* Additional discussion of the descriptive, psychological models of decision making to expand upon the original emphasis on normative, rational, `Expected Utility Theory' models.

Equipped with this knowledge and an understanding of the principles of rational decision making, both undergraduate and graduate students can help improve the quality of their choices and, thus, their life.

Review: "Concise text that resonates with students." -- Eric J. Michel

Contents: Thinking and Deciding What is Decision Making? A General Framework for Judgment Judgments from Memory Anchoring and Adjustment Judgment by Similarity Judging by Scenarios and Explanations Thinking about Randomness and Causation Thinking Rationally about Uncertainty Evaluating Consequences Simple Values Complex Values and Attitudes A Normative, Rational Decision Theory A Descriptive, Psychological Decision Theory In Praise of Uncertainty