GVPT 200 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Satisficing, Prospect Theory, Groupthink

• School: University of Maryland
• Department: Government and Politics
• Course: GVPT 200
• Professor: Calvert Jones

Document Summary

Thus far international relations theorists have said very little about how leaders make decisions. Both of today"s readi(cid:374)gs e(cid:374)gage (cid:373)u(cid:272)h (cid:373)ore seriously the (cid:448)arious pro(cid:272)esses (cid:271)y (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h foreig(cid:374)- policy decisions might be made by state leaders: you should use the (cid:862)ratio(cid:374)al(cid:863) (cid:373)odel of foreig(cid:374) poli(cid:272)y de(cid:272)isio(cid:374) (cid:373)aki(cid:374)g as a de(cid:272)isio(cid:374)-making baseline. Decision makers fear losses more than they value gains: groupthink- lack of dissenting opinion and homogeneity of group, crisis decision-making, kah(cid:374)e(cid:373)a(cid:374) a(cid:374)d re(cid:374)sho(cid:374)"s short article illustrates various decision-making biases and how they might affect international relations: 4(cid:895) they ide(cid:374)tify (cid:862)(cid:448)isio(cid:374) pro(cid:271)le(cid:373)s(cid:863) (cid:894)differe(cid:374)t i(cid:374)terpretatio(cid:374)s of o(cid:374)e"s o(cid:449)(cid:374) (cid:271)eha(cid:448)ior (cid:272)o(cid:373)pared to that of o(cid:374)e"s ad(cid:448)ersary(cid:895) a(cid:374)d (cid:862)opti(cid:373)isti(cid:272) (cid:271)ias(cid:863) (cid:894)o(cid:448)eresti(cid:373)ati(cid:374)g o(cid:374)e"s a(cid:271)ility to pre(cid:448)ail(cid:895) as t(cid:449)o factors that lead to hawkish behavior.