INST 354 Lecture 1: INST354 Lecture 1: Introduction
10 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Humans today evolved from ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago who lived in small groups and spent most of their waking hours foraging for sustenance. When we weren"t searching for something to eat or drink, we were looking for safe places to live, choosing mates, and protecting our off-spring. Our success in accomplishing these survival tasks arose not due to distinctively acute senses or especially powerful physical capacities. We dominate this planet today because of our distinctive capacity for good decision making. Human beings have an exceptional ability to choose appropriate means to achieve their ends. This book is about decision making, but it is not about what to choose; rather, it is about how we choose. Most of the conclusions in this book follow from research conducted by psychologists, economists, and biologists about how people actually make choices and decisions people ranging from medical and financial experts to college student participants in psychological experiments.
