At DecisionSkills we always want to keep you up to date with the latest news, research and information on problem solving and decision-making. On this page we provide a variety of articles we hope you enjoy. The articles are listed from most recent to oldest.
 

Brain Changes May Make Older People More Susceptible to Scams. December 3rd, 2012, by Julie Steenhuysen

A study by Shelley Taylor of the University of California, Los Angeles, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that older people are not as capable in deciding when a person is untrustworthy. The study used brain scans to show activation in the anterior insula were different in younger than older adults. This area of the brain helps produce the "uh-oh" when processing information. For the full article Click Here to go to Rueters.com.
  

Pentagon Leaders Testing New Decision-Making Process. November 27th, 2012, by Marcus Weisgerber

A new grading process has been implemented by Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The decision process uses a number of national security factors in an overall document identified as the "Chairman's Risk Assessment." The process is designed for wide-spread use about decisions of funding or recommendations on the use of military force. For the full article Click Here to go to Defensenews.com.

Solving the Bad Boss Problem: Could The Answer Begin With You? October 16th, 2012, by Jack Zenger

Not really an article about problem solving, but we enjoyed the useful tips for improving the relationship with your boss. A new study reports only 36 percent of Americans are happy at their job and close to 60 percent of Americans say they would do a better job if they got along better with their boss. For the full article Click Here to go to Forbes.com.  

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Solving the Billion Dollar Problem in the Cocoa Industry, Oct. 11th, 2012, by Barry Parkin

Who knew we are in for a chocolate shortage?

"In our view, putting farmers first -- and investing in them -- is key. We must invest in cocoa research and in direct interventions, like our Vision for Change program in Cote d'Ivoire, which allows us to train farmers on modern agricultural methods that will help them triple their yields. Equally as important is implementing certification programs that can influence hundreds of thousands and even millions of farmers at scale."

To read the full article Click Here to go to the HuffingtonPost.com.

Patient Involvement in Decision-Making, Oct. 10th, 2012, by Mary Miller

A good article discussing findings of studies where patients were actively involved in the decision-making process regarding treatment options. After a year long study where patients were able to read and have access to the doctor's notes:

• 77-87% of patients said open notes helped them feel more in control of their care;
• 60-78% of those taking medicines reported they followed medication directions better;
• only 1-8% reported confusion, worry or offense; and
• surprisingly, 20-42% reported sharing notes with family or friends.

For the full article Click Here to go to fightcolorectalcancel.org.

5 Tips for How to Solve the World's Biggest Problems... Oct. 5th, by Daniela Papi

An interesting article on lessons learned while working in Tanzania on a project to bring energy and light to Africa. The 5 tips are good advice for any business wanting to find effective solutions in a changing world.

 "But they are not only diverse in their experience, but also in their ideas. The days were filled with healthy debate, each team member committed to pursing their collective goals, welcoming disagreement, and challenging each other's ideas. If they hadn't been open to considering each other's perspective, they might still be trying to put expensive solar systems on hard-to-protect cell towers."

For the full article ClickHere to go to the Huffingtonpost.com.

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Does moral decision-making in video games mirror the real world? Oct. 3rd, 2012, by Mary Ann Liebert

Not sure if we agree, but an interesting study that discusses how people react to moral decisions when playing video games.

"Andrew Weaver and Nicky Lewis, Indiana University, Bloomington, studied how players make moral choices in video games and what effects those choices have on their emotional responses to the games. In general, players tended to make "moral" decisions and to treat game characters as though they were actual people. Although behaving in antisocial ways was associated with greater guilt, it did not affect player enjoyment."

To read the full article Click here to go to ScienceCodex.com.