scholarly journals Impairments in goal-directed action and reversal learning in a proportion of individuals with psychosis: evidence for differential phenotypes in early and persistent psychosis

Author(s):  
Shuichi Suetani ◽  
Andrea Baker ◽  
Kelly Garner ◽  
Peter Cosgrove ◽  
Matilda Mackay-Sim ◽  
...  

Cognitive impairments in psychosis are one of the strongest predictors of functional decline. Cortico-striatal dysfunction may contribute to both psychosis and cognitive impairment in psychotic illnesses. The decision-making processes underlying goal-directed action and serial reversal learning can be measured and are sensitive to changes reflecting cortico-striatal dysfunction. As such, changes in decision-making performance may assist with predicting functional decline in people with psychosis. We assessed decision-making processes in healthy controls (N=34), and those with early psychosis (N=15) and persistent psychosis (N=45). We subclassified subjects based on intact/impaired goal-directed action. Compared with healthy controls (<20%), a large proportion (58%) of those with persistent psychosis displayed impaired goal-directed action, predicting poor serial reversal learning performance. Computational approaches indicated that those with persistent psychosis were less deterministic in their decision-making. Those with impaired goal-directed action had a decreased capacity to rapidly update their prior beliefs in the face of changing contingencies. In contrast, the early psychosis group included a lower proportion of individuals with impaired goal-directed action (20%) and displayed a different cognitive phenotype from those with persistent psychosis. These findings suggest prominent decision-making deficits, indicative of cortico-striatal dysfunction, are present in a large proportion of people with persistent psychosis while those with early psychosis have relatively intact decision-making processes compared to healthy controls. It is unclear if there is a progressive decline in decision-making processes in some individuals with psychosis or if the presence of decision-making processes in early psychosis is predictive of a persistent trajectory of illness.

Author(s):  
Pedro B. Agua ◽  
Anacleto C. Correia ◽  
Armindo Frias

In critical activities and organizations, decision making in the face of complexity has been a growing normal. Complexity troubles humans due to cognitive limitations. Moreover, humans are merely able to understand cause-and-effect relationships that are close in time and space, not the paradigm of many complex socio-technical systems. Decision-making processes shall rely on models that help harness a problem´s associated complexity – among them the dynamics of supply chains. Models typically fall into two broad categories: mental and formal models. Supply chains are complex systems, which may exhibit complex behaviour patterns. Decisions and policies within organizational systems are the causes of many problems, among them undesirable oscillations and other problematic patterns of the parameters of interest. A system is a grouping of parts that work together for a purpose. Hence, the systems dynamics methodology is an adequate approach to deal with fuel supply chain management. A model was developed that helps manage marine gasoil supply chains in the context of the navy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-24
Author(s):  
Guy Davidov ◽  
Maayan Davidov

Research on compliance has shown that people can be induced to comply with various requests by using techniques that capitalise on the human tendencies to act consistently and to reciprocate. Thus far this line of research has been applied to interactions between individuals, not to relations between institutions. We argue, however, that similar techniques are applied by courts vis-à-vis the government, the legislature and the public at large, when courts try to secure legitimacy and acceptance of their decisions. We discuss a number of known influence techniques – including ‘foot in the door’, ‘low-balling’, ‘giving a reputation to uphold’ and ‘door in the face’ – and provide examples from Israeli case law of the use of such techniques by courts. This analysis offers new insights that can further the understanding of judicial decision-making processes.


2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
MEGHAN C. CAMPBELL ◽  
JULIE C. STOUT ◽  
PETER R. FINN

We examined the possible role of autonomic activity in Huntington's disease (HD) during a risky decision making task. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) of 15 HD participants and 16 healthy controls were measured while they performed a computerized version of the Simulated Gambling Task (SGT). The results replicated our previous finding of a performance decrement in HD, and showed that HD was associated with an altered pattern of SCRs during the risky decision task. Specifically, the healthy controls produced increased SCRs following selections from the disadvantageous decks and following losing selections. In contrast, the SCRs of the HD group did not differentiate between wins and losses. These findings indicate a reduced impact of loss on decision-making processes under risky conditions in HD. (JINS, 2004, 10, 239–245.)


Facilities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Carl Backus ◽  
Jakob C. Bruhl

Purpose The facility decision-making process (FDMP), as described in this paper, is a framework based on decades of proven effectiveness in analogous military applications. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate key factors which justify the need for the FDMP before describing the FDMP. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducts a literature review as it relates to facilities specific decision-making, puts forward a new concept for those processes and provides an abridged case study of the concept in application. Findings Facilities management is a key function for nearly every type of business or enterprise. As part of facilities management, many decisions are made about physical assets that a business or enterprise owns or maintains. Currently, there is no uniform decision-making framework, in literature or in practice, which enables consistency, robustness and scalability for facility management decisions. Such a framework would enable facility managers to effectively justify decisions related to capital and operational expenses. Practical implications The FDMP provides a robust procedure for facilities managers and engineers that enables enhanced strength in the face of business enterprise scrutiny as compared with the often-intuitive decision-making processes currently used in practice. Originality/value This novel conceptual process articulates the opportunity to provide for a comprehensive facilities decision-making process that enables better decisions especially as it relates to what are often ill-defined problem sets in facilities management.


2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Smith ◽  
Corinne Wales

In the face of widespread dissatisfaction with contemporary democratic practice, there has been a growing interest in theories of deliberative democracy. However theorists have often failed to sufficiently address the question of institutional design. This paper argues that recent experiments with citizens' juries should be of interest to deliberative democrats. The practice of citizens' juries is considered in light of three deliberative democratic criteria: inclusivity, deliberation and citizenship. It is argued that citizens' juries offer important insights into how democratic deliberation could be institutionalized in contemporary political decision-making processes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (35) ◽  
pp. 21201-21208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiel Sebhatu ◽  
Karl Wennberg ◽  
Stefan Arora-Jonsson ◽  
Staffan I. Lindberg

We analyze the adoption of nonpharmaceutical interventions in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Given the complexity associated with pandemic decisions, governments are faced with the dilemma of how to act quickly when their core decision-making processes are based on deliberations balancing political considerations. Our findings show that, in times of severe crisis, governments follow the lead of others and base their decisions on what other countries do. Governments in countries with a stronger democratic structure are slower to react in the face of the pandemic but are more sensitive to the influence of other countries. We provide insights for research on international policy diffusion and research on the political consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.


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