How DO We Decide Things?

Have you ever asked yourself how you actually make decisions? What you evaluate and why you trust that process? In this post I want to go under the hood of decision-making by drawing on empirical behavioral science and show you how thoughtful, rational decision making can be developed. Aiding us will be two studies that point in different, but related directions. This post looks at what researchers have discovered about how decision-making actually works, and how developing a thoughtful and rational process can improve our lives.

In 2009, Thomas Pogarsky and Christopher Paternoster proposed a model known as Thoughtful and Rational Decision Making (TRDM) in their study Rational Choice, Agency, and Thoughtful Decision Making (Pogarsky & Paternoster, 2009). Their framework examines how people make choices by gathering information, considering alternatives, weighing consequences, and reflecting afterward on whether the choice was effective. It’s a process rooted in intentional and thoughtful awareness rather than impulsive decision. To test their model, Pogarsky and Paternoster analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which followed over 20,000 students from 132 U.S. high schools. Their findings showed that those who engaged in more thoughtful and rational decision-making as adolescents were less likely to engage in risky behavior later in life. These students also tended to experience higher academic success, greater civic participation, and fewer encounters with the criminal justice system. The message put forth here is profound: how we decide influences what happens next. TRDM demonstrates that deliberate thinking creates a momentary gap between emotion and action. Within that gap, individuals have the ability to navigate social and personal challenges with much more fluidity and efficacy.

Still, rational thought does not always equal a lack of emotion or adversity. The real test of decision-making comes when circumstances are uncertain or stressful. This is where the findings of Leder and colleagues become the most interesting: their 2024 study, Adaptive Decision-Making Under Pressure (Leder et al., 2024), published in Scientific Reports, explored how humans make decisions when faced with unpredictable or high-stakes conditions. Using behavioral experiments and statistical modeling, the researchers found that even under intense pressure, individuals who approached problems with structured reasoning frameworks and self-awareness produced better outcomes than those who relied on gut reactions. Interestingly, participants who took time to re-evaluate their decisions mid-process often corrected early mistakes and achieved even stronger results. Leder’s team described this as “adaptive rationality,” or the ability to remain flexible while maintaining a consistent pattern of logic.

Together, these studies highlight that decision-making is not fixed. It’s a learnable skill! The ability to slow down, question any assumptions, gather relevant information, and critically evaluate possible outcomes can be developed through deliberate practice. It’s a form of mental training that strengthens emotional regulation and clarity in moment-to-moment thought. In everyday life, this might look like pausing before reacting to an angry text message, planning financial choices more carefully, or simply asking, “What do I actually know about this situation?” Each of these acts transforms passive reaction into purposeful control over action.

Decision-making, then, is not just a function of normal brain activity but an artform. By studying how decision-making works and cultivating the habits of careful and rational thought, we become more capable of steering our lives rather than being steered by circumstance. Careful thinking does not guarantee perfect outcomes, but it greatly improves the odds that actions align with who we see ourselves as and want to become.