THE
PROBLEM OF DECISION-MAKING 

Do all individuals approach problems and make decisions in the same way? 

This question frames the one aspect of the problem of decision-making that needs most urgent clarification.  It has not yet been dealt with adequately. 

The only Nobel Prizes that relate to the problem of decision-making are those awarded to Herbert Simon in 1978 and Daniel Kahneman in 2002.  Although their work was based on experimental data informing group trends, neither of them has put forward a single illuminating fact that addresses our main question.  Nobody has yet demonstrated empirically and conclusively to the science community that there is at least more than just one approach to problems and decision-making.

The core problem of decision-making can be expressed more concretely.  Compare for instance Roger Penrose’s approach to problems and his way of making decisions to those of Michio Kaku.  We are not referring to similarities or differences in their standpoints but exclusively to the way they approach problems and shape their decisions.  Do they order and shape their decisions in a similar way or not?  How would you empirically and conclusively demonstrate similarity or dissimilarity about the way they give form to their decisions?

Unravelling the problem of decision-making has far-reaching implications for scientific research in many fields.  A differentiated decision-making model unlocks a new space for exploration in artificial intelligence and one that gives us a more realistic view on the complexities entailed in the riddle of consciousness.