University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil
The choice of a higher education course is one of the most important decisions individuals make, as it usually directs the choice of career or profession. Therefore, it is a complex decision, and it is thus possible that young individuals rely on heuristics and biases to facilitate the decision-maki...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Online |
| Language: | eng |
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Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/racc/article/view/30374 |
| _version_ | 1811171459137011712 |
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| author | Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Wickstrom Alves, Tiago |
| author_facet | Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Wickstrom Alves, Tiago |
| author_sort | Feld, Mateus |
| collection | Portal de Revistas |
| description | The choice of a higher education course is one of the most important decisions individuals make, as it usually directs the choice of career or profession. Therefore, it is a complex decision, and it is thus possible that young individuals rely on heuristics and biases to facilitate the decision-making process. Considering that, we explored whether and how heuristics and biases affected college students’ judgments and decisions regarding courses. We developed a questionnaire and applied it to a sample of students in Brazil, and we analyzed the collected data using CATPCA and additional statistical methods. We found that students suffered from sunk-cost bias, in addition to the anchoring and representativeness heuristics. Additionally, we found no evidence of a framing effect. We conclude that heuristics and biases were relevant factors in students’ judgments and decisions, but they did not dominate them, operating, instead, in conjunction with traditional aspects of analysis and choice. |
| format | Online |
| id | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-30374 |
| institution | Universidad Nacional de Cordoba |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Universidad Nacional de Córdoba |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-303742022-04-22T21:59:46Z University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil Elección del grado universitario y el uso de heurísticos y sesgos como mecanismos de toma de decisiones: un estudio en Brasil Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Wickstrom Alves, Tiago higher education decisión-making heuristics biases educación superior toma de decisiones heurísticos sesgos The choice of a higher education course is one of the most important decisions individuals make, as it usually directs the choice of career or profession. Therefore, it is a complex decision, and it is thus possible that young individuals rely on heuristics and biases to facilitate the decision-making process. Considering that, we explored whether and how heuristics and biases affected college students’ judgments and decisions regarding courses. We developed a questionnaire and applied it to a sample of students in Brazil, and we analyzed the collected data using CATPCA and additional statistical methods. We found that students suffered from sunk-cost bias, in addition to the anchoring and representativeness heuristics. Additionally, we found no evidence of a framing effect. We conclude that heuristics and biases were relevant factors in students’ judgments and decisions, but they did not dominate them, operating, instead, in conjunction with traditional aspects of analysis and choice. La elección del grado universitario es una de las decisiones más importantes que las personas toman, ya que generalmente dirige la elección de carrera o profesión. Es una decisión compleja y entonces es posible que jóvenes usen heurísticos y sesgos para facilitar el proceso de decisión. Teniendo esto en cuenta, analizamos si, y de qué manera, heurísticos y sesgos afectaron los juicios y decisiones de estudiantes universitarios sobre sus cursos. Desarrollamos un cuestionario y lo aplicamos a una muestra de estudiantes en Brasil, y analizamos los datos utilizando CATPCA y métodos estadísticos adicionales. Encontramos que los estudiantes sufrieron del sesgo del costo hundido, y de los heurísticos de anclaje y representatividad. Además, no encontramos evidencia del efecto de encuadre. Concluimos que heurísticos y sesgos fueron factores relevantes en los juicios de los estudiantes, pero que no los dominaron, sino que operaron en conjunto con aspectos tradicionales de análisis y elección Universidad Nacional de Córdoba 2022-04-22 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/racc/article/view/30374 10.32348/1852.4206.v14.n1.30374 Argentinean Journal of Behavioral Sciences; Vol. 14 No. 1 (2022): REVISTA ARGENTINA DE CIENCIAS DEL COMPORTAMIENTO; 46-67 Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento; Vol. 14 Núm. 1 (2022): REVISTA ARGENTINA DE CIENCIAS DEL COMPORTAMIENTO; 46-67 1852-4206 10.32348/1852.4206.v14.n1 eng https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/racc/article/view/30374/37568 Derechos de autor 2022 Mateus Feld, Tiago Wickstrom Alves http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | higher education decisión-making heuristics biases educación superior toma de decisiones heurísticos sesgos Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Feld, Mateus Wickstrom Alves, Tiago Wickstrom Alves, Tiago University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil |
| title | University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil |
| title_alt | Elección del grado universitario y el uso de heurísticos y sesgos como mecanismos de toma de decisiones: un estudio en Brasil |
| title_full | University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil |
| title_fullStr | University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil |
| title_short | University course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms: a study in Brazil |
| title_sort | university course choice and the use of heuristics and biases as decision making mechanisms a study in brazil |
| topic | higher education decisión-making heuristics biases educación superior toma de decisiones heurísticos sesgos |
| topic_facet | higher education decisión-making heuristics biases educación superior toma de decisiones heurísticos sesgos |
| url | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/racc/article/view/30374 |
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