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5 months ago in Decision Science By Shubham

What really helps (or hurts) decision-making under stress and in emergencies?

When people have to make decisions under extreme stress—like in emergencies—what factors are known to improve or impair their judgment?

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By Vipul Answered 3 months ago

Research consistently shows that stress hurts decision-making by narrowing attention, overloading working memory, and pushing people toward fast but error-prone heuristics. On the flip side, several factors help: training and expertise (which automate responses), checklists and decision aids (that reduce cognitive load), good team coordination, and emotional regulation skills to prevent panic. Much of this evidence comes from studies on emergency responders, aviation, and military settings.

 

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