Memory and decision-making
Open-knowledge reference entry
The memory system plays a key role in the decision-making process because individuals constantly choose among alternative options. Due to the volume of decisions made, much of the decision-making process is unconscious and automatic. Information about how a decision is made is remembered and used for future decisions. Although memory is susceptible to biases, it plays a vital role in forming preferences and differentiating between choices.
Preferences-as-memory approach
The preferences-as-memory (PAM) framework is a model that maps the role of memory in decision-making. It suggests that decisions are chosen based on the retrieval of relevant knowledge from memory. This knowledge includes information from both previous identical and similar situations. The model assumes that there never is one precise optimal choice due to the complexity of the memory system.
Classical Models
Classic models of judgment and decision-making assume that all individuals abide to a given set of assumptions when making a decision. Humans are believed to have stable preferences that follow the rules of continuity and precision, and so we will make consistent choices regardless of the influence of any internal or external factors.
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